As Pete mentioned in his last blog, it’s so important in the current climate that we feed ourselves with good news. This is not to lessen the impact of the situation we find ourselves in, but, as we scan our news feeds, surely it’s now more than ever that we need to filter as we scroll, dig out the gold in these unusual circumstances that we find ourselves in, and give thanks. Even the press have seen the importance of highlighting the good amidst the inevitable bad. Just this last week, two particular BBC online articles sparked internal joy as I sought to navigate the uncharted territory that we are in right now.

First, there was the incredibly heartwarming story of a tired NHS paramedic, who ventured to the supermarket after a long, hard shift, to find himself offered a place in the queue ahead of others, and applauded by the fellow shoppers waiting for the store to open. Once at the checkout, a complete stranger leapt in front of him to swipe her credit card and pay for his shopping. How amazing to see such acts of generosity and kindness featured highly in the news, and to see the very best facets of humanity displayed under pressure and stress. There is certainly a fresh hunger for this kind of news; the paramedic’s thank you on Facebook has been shared 78,000 times!

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In another interesting piece entitled ‘Coronavirus – The good that can come of an upside down world’ Matthew Syed writes about the idea that we might actually come out of this crisis for the better in some respects; with certain human qualities enhanced, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.

Of course as Christians, we know the truth is that God can take something that is meant for evil and can turn it to good:

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Syed points towards the increase in the sorts of acts of kindness that we are seeing around us – the thousands of volunteers that have stepped forward to help the NHS, the ‘Clap for Carers’ campaign and similar.

“Kindness is often considered…to be a short-lived anomaly. But I wonder if kindness can become a more sustainable part of our societies, particularly when people realise that altruism and self-interest are not so very far apart.”

He references the theory of assumption reversal, the concept of turning something on its head and using this to inspire creativity and build fresh ideas. We have certainly seen an upsurge in levels of innovation in these recent times: a huge acceleration in medical collaboration towards a vaccine, and not forgetting the kind of inspiring partnership we have seen between UK Technology and Engineering companies in a joint effort to supply life-saving breathing devices to the NHS.

I can’t help but be reminded of the ‘upside-down’ way of the Kingdom of God spoken of in Mark 10. Hearts turned towards each other with compassion and understanding in the worst of times is surely the way of the Kingdom. Moreover finding Holy Spirit-inspired solutions to the problems faced in a time of great struggle should surely be our expectation of seeing heaven on earth. Seeking to find some ‘silver linings in this grey cloud’, Syed concludes “A world with more kindness and creativity is one to look forward to”.

I’m sure I’m not alone in praying that such goodness in the world might persist way beyond the confines of this particular crisis, but even more so that hearts would connect to the One who created us for goodness from the very start.

We’d love you to send us any good news stories you’re hearing about in your own corner of the world to enquiries@heaveninhealthcare.org.uk

Helen Davis, Heaven In Healthcare Team