Here’s another new coronavirus prayer, to help support and encourage you during the continuing crisis.
We are frightened, Lord –
frightened still by this crisis,
and where it all might lead.
We’re frightened for ourselves –
haunted by the thought of lying in a hospital bed,
struggling for breath,
dependent on an oxygen mask,
even a ventilator,
in order to keep us alive,
to give us any realistic chance of survival.
We’re frightened for our loved ones,
terrified at the thought of them contracting this virus,
of developing complications,
of being rushed to intensive care,
of seeing them suffer,
of having them plucked from our sides.
We’re frightened about the future –
about what it holds for us,
our family and friends,
our children and children’s children,
given the impact this crisis has had on our economy,
and will probably continue to have for years to come –
anxious that the country will be unable to weather the storm,
that unemployment and poverty will hit new highs,
that some may face levels of hardship beyond our worse imagining.
We’re frightened for our young people,
concerned about what sort of prospects they have to look forward to –
fearful that years of recession,
of repaying debts,
and of seeking to undo the damage of these years
could lead to a lost generation –
a generation denied the opportunities that we have long taken for granted.
We’re frightened for our society –
anxious about what the long-term impact of this pandemic might be,
the scars it may leave on local and national services,
on health and education,
on sports and leisure facilities,
on charities and voluntary organisations –
on all this and so much more.
Lord, we know we will emerge finally from this nightmare,
but we are not sure what sort of world we will inherit when we do;
what price we will have paid,
and will continue to pay,
to defeat this scourge.
Grant wisdom to those in authority entrusted with taking decisions on our behalf,
that they may act wisely and responsibly,
and grant hope, vision and courage to us all,
so that out of the ashes we may be resolved not just to build anew,
but to fashion something better,
and fairer,
and brighter
that what has been before.
Amen.