If any of you are having trouble, pray*

Bishop Mark Tanner was appointed to the Diocese of Chester in May and will be moving to Cheshire with his family this month, before taking up his duties in September

- Bishop Mark Tanner

How long, oh Lord, how long…? Hang on, let me just check: am I eavesdropping on a conversation about lockdown, or talking with my own family about when we can actually move to Cheshire? Or reading the Psalms?

Many of us are asking deep questions at the moment, whether we have found this ‘Covid-season’ easy or hard. We weep for those we have lost and with those who are ill or bereaved. Many of our normal ‘sense-making’ mechanisms are inhibited at best and often feel totally denied to us. Simple things such as a chat over a pint, a hug, or a bit of sport have not been options, and even those relatively untouched by the coronavirus find there is space for the self-examination that we normally shelve for a quieter moment.