The Archbishops of Canterbury and York this week issued a call for the nation to remember the more than 100,000 people who have died of the coronavirus in the UK.
In a letter to the nation, the two archbishops – Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell – said 100,000 wasn’t an “abstract figure”.
“100,000 isn’t just an abstract figure. Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us. We also believe that each of these people was known to God and cherished by God.”
A patient arrives in an ambulance outside the Royal London Hospital in east London, on Monday, 25th January, during England’s third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. PICTURE: AP Photo/Matt Dunham.
They said they wrote “in consolation, but also in encouragement, and ultimately in the hope of Jesus Christ”.
“The God who comes to us in Jesus knew grief and suffering himself. On the cross, Jesus shares the weight of our sadness. We therefore encourage everyone who is feeling scared, or lost or isolated to cast their fears on God. We also know that poorer communities, minority ethnic communities and those living with disabilities have been afflicted disproportionately and cry out for the healing of these inequalities.
The archbishops urged people to support each other by obeying the coronavirus-related guidelines and constraints and “reaching out to each other with care and kindness”.
They also issued a call to prayer, inviting people to set aside time to do so, particularly at 6pm each day, from 1st February.
“One thing we can all do is pray. We hope it is some consolation to know that the church prays for the life of our nation every day…More than ever, this is a time when we need to love each other. Prayer is an expression of love.”
Prayer-related resources can be found on the Church of England’s website.
