Hope

19 Mar 2020 • General news

Our family at Ark St Alban’s Academy includes many different people, with different roles and faiths. Many are Muslim but we have a wide range of faiths rand beliefs represented in our school. As Chaplain, one of my key roles is to help everyone in the academy grow in their own faiths and beliefs. Now I want to encourage everyone in our academy family, whatever our belief, to grow in hope.

There is a prayer, I’m not sure where it comes from, “Lord, preserve me from interesting times”. It really means preserve us from times where everything is changing, and nothing is certain. We are in such a time now. It is now that we can look to God, Allah, or whatever name we use. We can look in hope and for hope.

For Christians Easter will soon be here and for Christians Easter is a time of hope. Whatever our faith or belief background let us look forward with hope. Hope that whatever difficulties we have now and in immediate future, beyond that there is a better time.

As well as hope, now is a time for action. Now is a time we need to help those around us. The best way is by looking after our immediate neighbours. At the moment that means the elderly and vulnerable, but we don’t know which of us might have to self-isolate. I have set up a Facebook group HelpHighgateBrum for the people of Highgate. The idea is that those that need help can get in touch with people who can give help.

Whether you like the HelpHighgateBrum group, or help those who live around we can all face this crisis with courage and faith.