Coronavirus Inspiration
As a priest I never thought I would write a prayer about hand sanitiser, but there was a deeper lesson there.
Living in the historic centre of Florence Italy is a big privilege, even in the grip of current anxieties about coronavirus. Sadly, as a priest, my “dog collar” is no vaccine.
Having just got back to the 15th -century palazzo I call home, I realise that I would never normally go to the supermarket at this time of day. The media-fuelled climate of fear and panic outside Italy means that the once saturated streets and busy shops are now noticeably quiet. It was striking to be able to see the two police officers who patrol up and down the Ponte Vecchio as I passed by. Normally, you wouldn’t be able to see them for the crowds of tourists crammed onto Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
I was able to go directly to the checkout to pay. At that time of day there would normally be a long line of people in front of me waiting to buy their lunchtime panini. Cynically, I thought to myself “at least this wretched business has improved my shopping experience.”
I got thinking about the consequences of fear and suspicion and how we respond to such a crisis. People are quite naturally scared and at a time when prayer is most needed, many churches in northern Italy are…