We have coffee again at our Sunday meetings, but all is not normal.

It has been almost two years since we last enjoyed coffee, tea and refreshments at our Sunday gatherings. It’s a great way to start things off, with a hot, fresh cup of coffee or tea if you prefer, along with a chat or two among the people there. It’s almost an institution to have these drinks available at all gatherings but do to restrictions from Covid we decided to wait until in the clear of all restrictions. It’s really encouraging to have a whole load of new people who are stepping onto the team to provide this for everyone. But…

As the title to this story says all is not normal. Sure it is getting there with the virus, very few masks are donned these days and chairs are closer to each other than they were. No longer are people sliding in and escaping out, rather most stick around to help put things away and catch up together. So ya, that portion of life is slowly getting back to what we have been used to for so long. There is a heavy, horrific cloud that overhangs everybody’s mind though.

The events playing out in front of the world in Ukraine as targets are found wherever and whenever the gun is shot or missile is fired. It doesn’t seem to matter, a block of flats, hospital, air field, nuclear reactor, orphanage, port… the list goes on and on. Nowhere is safe, nothing seems to be off limits to the enforcing Russian army. Whatever semblance of normal was being lived in that land is no more, after only one week it seems long gone. There seems to be so little we can do from here. Unless you’re a refugee or veteran of a war you can’t pretend to understand the fear, shock and horror of the sirens wailing and shelling happening, right outside your doorstep.

What can we do? For one we can pray, it may seem a drop in the bucket but many drops together across the globe can cause a storm. It’s amazing when you think about the verse in Revelation 5:8 which says that the prayers of the saints are stored in a bowl, and each one is heard. We can also give to the numerous charities on the ground, to efforts locally where goods are being collected and various other creative ways that emerge when there is need.

While life and gatherings here are back to normal, we recognise and remember for so many across this orb there is either a new unfamiliar and uncomfortable normal, or there is simply is no normal at all.