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Available for over a year

Good morning. Normally when I go to church, it’s for the service not for the people. I go to pray and to participate in the Catholic Mass; if anyone wants to say “hello” to me, that’s fine but, in all honesty, I’d be happy if it was just me and the priest. That's the way I am. My relationship with God is very personal and I enjoy being alone with him. So, when the lockdown came and the churches were shut, I thought I'd find it easy to adjust. This is what the world wide web was invented for! Hundreds of clerics have started live-streaming their services, and some of them are unexpectedly exciting. Viewers of Reverend Stephen Beach’s sermon got more than they expected when the vicar leaned against a candle and his cardigan went up in flames. “Oh dear,” he said, “I just caught fire.” The flames were extinguished and the Reverend is now an internet star. But when last Sunday came and I watched Mass on my computer, it didn’t feel right. What was I supposed to do? Where should I watch it? Should I put on a tie? Do I stand, kneel and genuflect? The feeling of distance was unreal and difficult. Catholics like me believe that during Mass, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, so to see them but to be separated from them is painful. It’s like only seeing a loved one via facetime, but not being able to reach out and touch them. This experience has brought home to me aspects of the religious life that, I suspect, are important to everyone, whether they believe or not. One is the concept of “sacred space”, places that are completely different from offices, shops, theatres or the home – places that are reserved for contemplation and which, thanks to this dreadful virus, most of us can no longer go. Even those who do not believe in a god are struck whenever they enter a temple by the peace and calm. Second, a lot of us are probably going to develop a greater appreciation for the social dimension of churches. Religious people experience their faith in different ways but, ultimately, they do it together, as a community of believers. Without a place to go, without others to communicate with and shape your thoughts and experiences, life is impoverished. Our individualistic culture tells us that we can get by on our own intelligence, personality and resources - but I don't think it's true. Many of us need other people’s company if we are to be a full human being.