Sheesh it’s been a huge year so far. But you don’t need me to tell you that.
Once again, I feel so lucky to have been born, and still living, in WA. I’m not sure why I was this lucky, but it’s definitely not lost on me.
Due to all the COVID-19 restrictions earlier this year, we didn’t publish our June edition. With Good Sammy stores closed and worship moving online, we felt a printed copy of Revive was not viable. During this time, we published regular stories on this site, which are all still there if you want to catch-up on a whole lot of activities the church, and our networks, were getting up to during physical isolation.
COVID-19 has highlighted so many things for our world, particularly for me it reinforced the line between the haves and have-nots. With a virus initially spread because of our globalised world and our infatuation with over-travel, our essential workers went from being undervalued to some of the most important people in our communities. Many of whom possibly could never afford to travel in the same way.
We heard about the loss of jobs and how hard that’s been for so many. But also, those who were already vulnerable in our communities became really vulnerable. People experiencing homelessness, people experiencing family violence, and people living with health conditions or disability suddenly have even more to deal with.
On the surface, panic buying showed us how greedy we can be, but also I think it showed us how good we have it and how scared we or are of losing it all at the drop of a hat.
And in non-COVID news, Black Lives Matter protests have shaken the western world. You can read more about that in our feature here. COVID-19 added another dimension to protesting in 2020, with people in face masks showing they’re not ignoring the virus, but proving just how important this issue is. Personally, I’m so proud of my son for attending a Black Lives Matter rally in Perth, organised by a grassroots network of young people, Boorloo Justice.
With all of this, and more, going on, the church continued to care for those who needed support through our schools, agencies and congregations.
At the time of going to print, COVID-19 is fairly under control in WA, but as we’ve seen, this can change in a moment. While I sit and write this in safety, I’m thinking of all those around Australia and indeed the world who are going through so much. I can’t change this situation, but I can take it seriously and do all I can to keep those around me safe by taking all the necessary precautions. I hope you enjoy the edition and are able to do the same.
Read the printed September 2020 edition of Revive here.
Heather Dowling
Editor