THE Reverend Jenny Ramsden, Interfaith Adviser for Bradford and Leeds, is keeping a blog, ‘Keeping Faith - an interfaith response to the coronavirus pandemic’, with contributions from people of different faiths in the district in response to the question: “What is helping us to keep our faith during this time of physical distancing, lockdown and quarantine?”

* JULIE WILKINSON, a storyteller with the Zephaniah Trust, which supports schools, churches and community groups, writes:

“As a storyteller working for a small Christian arts charity, I’d usually spend my term times visiting schools, telling stories in assemblies and RE lessons.

Instead, I’m in lockdown with my husband, our two girls and our cats, in a home that I am thankful for, because it feels safe and is our sanctuary.

But there is much that I miss - not least sharing stories with halls full of children…

As someone with a complicated medical history, I was initially gripped with health anxiety when we went into lockdown. I ploughed the excess nervous energy -and there was a lot of it! - into creative ideas of how to keep sharing God’s story from a distance. It probably wasn’t the best thing I could have done. I suspect my colleagues were a bit overwhelmed by the barrage of emails. But out of that time, came a foundation stone for helping me to keep the faith in these strange times.

Usually, my colleagues and I are all in different places, different schools. It is rare that we can gather together in the same place for long.

But now, every weekday at 10am, we gather on our charity’s Facebook page for a daily gathering. Each day is led by a different team member, sharing Bible stories or passages, thoughts and reflections, songs and images. Each of us is different and brings our own unique perspective. And, despite social distancing, it provides a daily space for being together, praying, and digging into God’s story. And because we gather in a public space, and share the reflections on our blog afterwards, others can take part in it too.

It’s a small thing, but it is making a big difference to me, allowing me to learn from the wisdom of my friends and spend time digging into my faith’s stories for myself. It is a slowing down, a doing things differently.

That enforced slowness of lockdown is enabling me to unpack my glass jar too, taking out those pebbles and grains of sand that have been taking up too much room. As I refill it, the first big stone that goes in is Love. Because putting Love in first prioritises space for the greatest commandment – to love God, to love one another, and to love myself. A restoration of the natural order of things.

Love is at the heart of our humanity and our faiths. It is why it hurts to be cut off from one another. It is why, no matter how full our lives get, there is always room for a drink with a friend.

Love. That will get me through.

* MANDY THORLBY, manager of Otley Christian Resources Hub, writes: “‘Using the same old materials of earth, fire and water, every 24 hours God creates something new out of them. If you think you’re seeing the same show all over again seven times a week, you’re crazy. Every morning you wake up to something that in all eternity never was before and never will be again. And the you that wakes up was never the same before and will never be the same again either’.” (Frederick Buechner).

During lockdown I have struggled with fear, with guilt (why am I ‘hiding’ in my house when other people are giving so much?) and with the ‘sameness ‘of every day.

What I have discovered is something that I think I knew already, that nature is a big part of my faith and the connection between the two sustains me. If I can stand outside and feel the sun or the wind on my face or even look outside and see a tree or a patch of blue sky - I feel better I feel more like me.

Usually I take this for granted but in the current situation, blessed with a small garden and access to woods near my house, I’ve had time to ponder why it matters. This is where my thoughts have taken me:

Nature reminds me that I am small and God is big and during this pandemic I’m slowly starting to let that truth take root. In normal life I am at the centre of things, I have a job which gives me purpose I can buy whatever I need and I live as if I am invincible. In other words, I live as if I am big and God is small. In these frightening days making room for the vastness of God, if only in small glimpses, is no bad thing.

Nature also reminds me that God can transform anything in time. The frogspawn in my pond which froze and I was sure was dead has now become hundreds of wiggling tadpoles. The hawthorn tree which was nothing but brittle thorns a week ago is now green. Each day offers transformation and the possibility of something from nothing. No matter how I may feel, the days are definitely not the same and each new day is itself a lesson in hope if I choose to learn it.

And finally, nature tries to teach me contentment although I am a poor learner. The birds in my garden remind me to live the day in front of me, however small that day might seem. The sparrows don’t waste their time wishing they were crows. Every day they get on with being tiny sparrows and they remind me that my job at the moment is to play a tiny part in a much bigger whole and to do small things well. I can’t save lives but I can stay home, I can donate money, I can pray. I can do the small things.”

* To contribute to Keeping Faith go to keeping-faith.org