A PLEA for people to support each other to overcome the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic has been made by the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Rt Rev Colin Sinclair said the speed with which that normal life has been put on hold due to the spread of Covid-19 has caught everyone by surprise.
Speaking yesterday, the first Sunday that traditional church services were suspended, he said the future for many people was “very challenging”.
He also paid tribute to key workers who are soldiering on during the crisis.
Sinclair, who has taken a one-year break from his post as minister of Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh to perform his role as moderator, said people cannot always choose what happens to them but they can choose how to respond.
“People are understandably worried, both for themselves and their loved ones and they are concerned about their health and about the financial impact,” he said.
“Will we let this crisis bring out the best in us or the worst? Our instinct is self-preservation, so we hoard food and pull up the drawbridge.
“However, there is another way.”
READ MORE: Psychologist tells Scots to ‘stay positive’ during coronavirus crisis
The moderator said it was possible that divisions in communities and the country that had emerged over the last few years could now be healed as people worked together. He pointed out that Jesus Christ called on people to pray, love others and serve those in need.
“This is already happening such as those on the frontline caring for the sick,” he said.
“People are leafletting their community, offering to do practical tasks, like helping with shopping or collecting prescriptions.”
“Some take time to phone or find different ways to contact people feeling isolated, while others, hearing food banks are running low, are bringing an extra donation.”
The moderator added that it was time for Christians to “stand up and show that our faith is more than words”.
“It is the rock on which we stand and the driving force in our lives,” he said.
“We need to practise faith, hope and love and not just recite them as a creed.
“With God’s help we will get through this together,” he added.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here