Relics, ruin, or rebirth?
Written by Gary Clayton, Copywriter and Editor at Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF),
From Wuhan, like the sin of Adam it spreads,
Infecting the world, leaving none unscathed.
Like the curse of man’s Fall, it affects so many,
Despite the ‘security’ of their fortress-home.
Venturing out for those locked in:
Travel restricted, telescoped lives.
The monitoring of movement,
Empty shelves and endless bread queues –
Like life in a Communist country
Where Christians can’t practise their faith.
Our shopping centres, those monuments to mammon,
Now empty cathedrals, relics of man’s greed.
Our finest churches, given for God’s glory,
Mere mausoleums – memorials to death.
“Why seek the living among the dead?
HE’s not in buildings temporarily closed.”
May those shut up, locked down, penned-in,
Told to maintain a social distance,
Self-isolated, shepherded, forced to ‘go contactless’,
Not be spiritually distanced
From the family of the faithful,
Nor isolate from God’s ways, His word or the Lamb.
Though forced to forfeit the things we once fed on,
We give out great thanks for all we once had.
Thankful to find at least some way to worship,
We lean on our faith; watch the faith-filled from afar.
Facing the necessity of no face-to-face contact,
We still seek the face of the One who prevails.
Whether church doors close or services open,
Let’s faithfully follow our All-in-all –
Our Rock, our Everything, our All-sufficient.
In needing Him more, we need nothing less,
Need nothing more – than Him!
Gary is married to Julie and the father of Christopher (16) and Emma (13). He worships at Hayes Lane Baptist Church and is Copywriter and Editor at Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) whose 138 aircraft bring the love of Christ to 26 developing countries.