Vaccine

 

Yesterday in Coventry Margaret Keenan (90) became the first person in the world to receive the first dose of the new vaccine. She said that she felt privileged, and was delighted that she can finally look forward to spending time with her family after being on her own for so long. She was apparently followed by thousands more people, including a gentleman named William Shakespeare (81) who has – like many of us – endured a true winter of discontent. It is wonderful to see the beginning of immunisations, given Measure for Measure no doubt. They were followed by elderly people and care workers at around fifty hospitals across the UK.

This appears to be the beginning of the remedy we have been hoping and praying for. And there are other vaccines being approved. Nevertheless, immunising all who want/need it will take a long time and requires careful organisation. However good the cure, it relies on people’s ongoing commitment and integrity for it to be effective.

Advent is a time when we think of fresh hope, we have that air of expectancy. A reading which we often use says “Comfort, comfort my people” picturing God declaring that his people’s suffering is ending. They had spent years in exile in Babylon, after their nation with its buildings and temple had been destroyed, and their sense of normality had been lost. But now they were to be allowed to return, helped by Cyrus the new King, and the Jewish people saw him as an agent of God. The cry goes up that a straight way will be made in the desert for them to return – and that the glory of God will once again be revealed (Isaiah chapter 40.1-5).

The way was before them and they took it, but there remained a huge task of reconstruction. It took a lot of faith and trust to make the journey from brokenness to newness of life. Our nation is faced with a gargantuan task of continuing to protect others while carefully using vaccines to prevent further suffering and loss of life. It takes courage and resourcefulness to achieve that.

For Christians, this is a spiritual time to recognise our shortcomings and sins, and to return to the Lord our God. Our commitment can waver, our desire to serve God’s loving ways can recede, our sense of his presence can become dim. For looking forward to the coming of the Christ-child means that we can see fresh hope, new life, approaching. And as he joins our human community of mixed actions and attitudes, to save us, and to be the remedy of our sin, so we are invited to be raised up to his level of knowing and proclaiming the presence of God in our world. “Peace to God’s people on earth” is the heavenly message and if we will but turn and believe there is Good News of great Joy. May that Joy be yours.