The Bishop of Paisley has called for a "ceasefire" of Covid restrictions for 24 hours at Christmas Day.
There was a breathless hush in the ward as the sound of immune responses fell quiet. The hospital staff ceased from their battle and listened.
On the breeze they heard a reedy music. Gradually it drew nearer and louder. It was "Silent Night" sang in the Covid language.
Scrabbling beneath a bed, a trainee nurse pulled out a football and kicked it over into No Man's Land. The viruses drew up in a 4-4-3 formation. And for the first time in 12 months, as that game of football was played out along the hospital corridor, there was peace between viruses and humankind.
As Christmas Day drew to an end, the nurses and doctors, cleaners and porters and caterers went back to their jobs. As snow fell outside, they could hear a virusy rendering of "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" and the letting-off of virusy party poppers.
Before New Years Day, the rate of infection had risen and an increased number of deaths was already on its way for mid-January.
Because viruses don't do truces. And they don't know about Christmas. And they don't respect British national myths of exceptionalism. They've never even heard of World War One. They're just viruses. They do what they do.
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I often wonder if Bishops live in the world or in some bomb proof ivory tower, fully insulated against the world and all that is going on in it.
ReplyDeleteA socially distanced Christmas with all precautions makes more sense to most of us, apart from the virus and vaccine and mask deniers who just want to blow up 5g towers and consume Chlorinated Chicken like their hero's the Proud Boys.
And I don't even like playing football.
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