fidzbit

Quarantine seems to have its own life-cycle. There was an initial energy, a ‘buzz’, that propelled us into preparation mode as we stocked the cupboards, searched for resources to school the kids, and adapted to working from home. National Health Service staff became heroes overnight and there was a sense of communities pulling together locally and nationally.  For many, there has followed a period of what can only be called enjoyment. The spring weather arrived at the same time as your boss lowered his expectations and you didn’t have to commute anymore - there was time to binge watch TV shows and take up a new hobby. At some point I think we may enter a different phase and this one concerns me. We start to get bored, frustrated, and impatient - even angry. Worries and concerns grow, fed by internet scaremongering and conspiracy theories. For the most part we are safe in our own homes, protected from immediate danger. Perhaps we start to wonder whether this pandemic i...

Jesus is a spiritual big brother for every Christian. Having suffered in  every way  like us He is able to sympathetically come alongside us with grace to help (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15-16). As Jesus approached the city of Nain he met a funeral procession. A crowd of people were following the bier but that was little comfort to the woman at the centre of the scene. Already a widow, she was about to bury her only son. This probably carried  a significant social stigma - she must have done something really bad to deserve this! I wonder if the mourners crowded about her or if they followed at a safe distance? Either way, she was now all alone in the world. I don’t know if anyone reading this can relate to this widow? Quarantine regulations mean that many people are experiencing painful isolation. Perhaps you have been recently bereaved and must attend the funeral alone because other family members are not allowed to travel. Perhaps it is the anniversary of an earlier berea...

The Philistines had a fearsome champion, a giant of a man called Goliath. The whole battle depended on him being slain. No one in King Saul’s army wanted to fight him. Along came a young shepherd who was willing. He didn’t have any real weapons, just a sling and a few rocks. What he did have was a living faith in the living God. Wild animals were an occupational hazard for David and it seems that he had fought a fair few. As he went to fight the Philistine hulk David explained the source of his courage: “ The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from  the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. " David’s faith had an organic quality about it. It grew. Each time a bigger problem arose he could say “God helped me with that in the past, He will help me with this is the present”. Every obstacle became an opportunity to practice what he had learned before and a preparation for bigger problems that might arise in the future. Step by step,...

Natural disasters, pandemics, and wars raise some big questions. Why does God allow suffering? Why do innocent people suffer? Are we, in some way, facing God’s judgment? If you take the Bible seriously, you cannot ignore this last question. To avoid talking about sin, hell, and judgment would be a serious misrepresentation of Jesus Christ. He had a lot to say on these issues. Christians talk about these things too but I fear that sometimes we do so in a different tone to that of Jesus. Yesterday’s post was about ‘Jesus the Weeping Prophet of Doom’ ( https://fidzbit.blogspot.com/2020/04/jesus-weeping-prophet-of-doom.html ).  This post is about ‘Jesus the Gentle Prophet of Doom’. But first we do have to go through a bit of fire and brimstone! In Matthew’s gospel most of chapter 11 is given over to one of Jesus’ ‘prophecies of doom’. The story goes something like this: Jesus’ colleague and cousin, John the Baptist, is in prison and going through a hard time. He turns ...

The end is in sight! Really?! Well, no - not for us any way. From our point of view this crisis is only just beginning. We have no idea how long it will last. Will the virus mutate and return again and again, bringing fresh waves of sickness? Will the social distancing measures stop a second or third ‘peak’ in cases? How long will it take to make an effective vaccine? We cannot answer these questions. The prospect of the next few months is daunting - whether that means tiring shifts in the hospital or the restrictions of staying at home through a lock down. But for God the end  is  already in view. In the book of Job God set a limit for the devil’s evil: “And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand.  Only against him do not stretch out your hand." That is God’s line in the sky. Later in the book He declares that He has also set limits for the visible world too: “" Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb...

Fidzbit : Tell us about yourself and what you do. John : My name is John, I'm married with 3 grown  up sons, 2 granddaughters and I've worked in the NHS for 36 years this year. F : What have you been doing during the last ten days to prepare for the coronavirus crisis? J : There has been much organisation by managers and senior staff etc.   Personally I have been carrying on in my role as a Health Care Support Worker in the Surgical Short Stay Unit. The majority of operations have now been cancelled or moved to another hospital.  I move back to the Intensive Care Unit soon so  I have attended training sessions about things that I will have to do there. F : What is the atmosphere like among your nursing colleagues as you anticipate such a critical situation? What is morale like? J :  It's a difficult question to answer because I have not yet been exposed directly to the current healthcare situation.  Atmosphere and morale seem to...

Fidzbit:  Tell us about yourself and what you do. Simon :  My name is Simon and I am a General Practitioner working in a village just outside Leicester. I am married to Allison, and we have 3 children. F:  What have you been doing during the last ten days to prepare for the coronavirus crisis? S :  I have mostly spent the last 10 days in isolation with suspected coronavirus! So I haven’t been doing much to prepare for it, although before I became unwell I had  tried to keep up to date  with the  ever-changing  government advice to GPs about managing patient’s with suspected coronavirus.   F:  So you’ve been in isolation! Sorry to hear that. How did it feel? What was the most difficult bit? S :  It did not feel good. I felt unwell with high temperatures  and a cough  but mostly I’ve just been worried for my family. My wife has been doing a lot to keep everything running smoothly, and I obviously ...

One dear friend responded to yesterday’s post with the words: “It feels very dark in the valley ”. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul URGES   that “ supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions.” At this time of crisis we need to take this even more seriously than usual. So I’ve just made my list .  It contains the names of The Queen The Prime Minister Boris Johnson The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Our local MP Ian Murray It also contains the names of: Two dear friends and a close relative who are hospital doctors. Two dear friends who are GP’s. An uncle who is a critical care nurse. Family members of colleagues who work in midwifery and the ambulance service. The GP’s who work at our local surgery. These people on the front line of this crisis need our prayers. They need our prayers NOW as they prepare themselves. Other personal messages from fr...

The fourth verse of the twenty third Psalm says: Even though I walk  through  the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,      for you are with me; your rod and your staff,      they comfort me. The image is something like this. A Middle Eastern shepherd is leading his sheep through the wilderness in search of green pastures. Their route must take them through a wadi: a dry river valley, quite narrow, and deep enough that it is in continuous shadow. An ideal place for hungry predators to set an ambush! This is the Valley of the Shadow or Death! In the Psalm, the sheep know they are safe. The  shepherd goes in first, with his club and staff. If there is a hungry lion hiding there it will have to face the shepherd before it can sink it’s teeth into any lamb steaks! The shepherd is effectively saying “Over my dead body” to any hostile creature that might attack his flock. Jesus once said “ I am ...

We were at the shop early yesterday morning needing some milk and bread for breakfast. Alas we were too early ! The distribution depot are struggling to keep up with the demand. The supplies are there but people are emptying the shelves faster than they can refill them. There was nothing the shopkeeper could do to help. There is a problem of 'supply and demand'. God's storehouse are full of grace. In Luke 11 Jesus is teaching us the procedure we should follow in requesting extra resources so as to avoid any issue of supply and demand with regards to divine grace . (1) Fill in the order form . IN Luke 11 Jesus tells the story of a man who urgently needs bread for an unexpected visitor. The man goes where he knows he can get bread and he keeps asking until he gets it. Jesus goes on to say these famous words "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and the ...

Until recently, most of us had only seen empty supermarket shelves on TV reports from Eastern European countries in the years after the 'Cold War' ended. Now the UK supermarket supply chain is struggling to keep up with the demands of mass panic buying. People are stockpiling painkillers, toilet paper, soap, pasta, and beans driven by the need to 'self isolate' and the very real possibility of a 'national lock-down' coming into force. Today the workers of the Faith Mission have been asked to set as much time aside as they can to call on the Lord in prayer. Perhaps you are doing something similar in your own Christian circle and if not perhaps you would like to join us? As we pray remember that we are NOT coming to a supermarket with empty shelves. 1. We are coming to  The Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). This is the place where God exercises His Almighty Authority in giving Generous and Benevolent Gifts freely to those wh...