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Good morning

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Just before Easter I was involved in the production of a virtual choir and orchestra video. 127 members of the group I conduct sent in recordings of a hymn, and it was my job to assemble the resulting audio and video to make it look and sound like a coherent whole.

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And as I got my teeth into the new project, I found it to be a healing process. It was lovely to see familiar faces looking a little embarrassed as they played and sang their hearts out in kitchens, living rooms and gardens.

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Having a lengthy creative task was good for me – it stopped me reading every detail of the bleak news reports and got me feeling more positive about life in lockdown.

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But more than that, as I listened to the chosen hymn over and over again, I was moved and encouraged in ways I hadn’t expected. It’s called Christ, our hope in life and death – and its relevance to our present circumstances is obvious.

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When so many wonderful people are being lost to the coronavirus, it can be tempting to lose hope. To question the validity of faith. To doubt the goodness of God.

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But St Paul argues that if our hope only lasts for this life, we’re the most miserable people on earth. He says the sting of death is painful, but Christ’s victory over death helps us have confidence in a better life beyond the grave. We will grieve and weep, but by the grace of God we need not lose hope.

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Lord, the sharpness of death is all around us. As we wrestle with the uncomfortable truth about our mortality, help us to consider the value of our souls and to find secure hope in the risen Christ, whose love endures forever. Amen