The first casualties of upheaval can be love, kindness, and patience. But crisis is also a moment when love for God & one another can spring up. For 150 days, starting on 17th March 2020, I will write 300 words based on one of the 150 psalms in the bible. How can I find and give love in the midst of coronavirus?

Listen to my words, Lord , consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, Lord , you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalms 5:1‭-‬3

What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Do you, like many others, reach for your phone and check what’s “happening in the world”? Particularly at the moment, do you head to the news to see the latest updates? What’s the latest on the coronavirus? I have to work very hard to resist this temptation. Someone at CBC recently said that their approach in the mornings is “word before the world”, ie. reach for the Bible before checking the news. We need this in the midst of the anxiety that we are surrounded by.

This doesn’t mean that we ignore what is happening with us and the world. Psalm 5 begins with a prayer of lament, a prayer for help. Tell God your fears and sadness – this is right, He invites this. And then in verse 3 (one of my favourite verses in the Bible) it says that we pray every morning and wait expectantly for God’s answer. We need this at any time, but especially in this current crisis. Begin every day with prayer, with honesty with God – start with Him before we reach for the news.

May God bless you. Matt Frost