Column by Harborough churches: A couple of phone calls a day makes a bigger difference to others than we may know

Every week representatives form Harborough churches write for the Harborough Mail. This week it is the turn of Revd Barry Hill Team leader, Church of England in and around Market Harborough
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Viewpoint from Revd Barry Hill

Team leader, Church of England in and around Market Harborough

Coronavirus has placed a heavy toll on us all, but those isolated or vulnerable have borne more than most.

Revd Barry Hill.Revd Barry Hill.
Revd Barry Hill.

Story after story from across our town remind us how hard it is to go against our God-given instinct to be close to others. Although nothing can replace physical touch, research highlights just two phone calls a day make a world of difference. Whilst texts and quick fire social media can be much more efficient, this crisis shows afresh we’re made for so much more than mere efficiency or to be units of economic output.

As lockdown started, many churches across our area arranged phone-round lists and I hear countless stories about the difference someone calling makes. In the Anglican Team the job description of our apprentice youthworker Josh has ‘to waste time well with young people’ in it! A good conversation doesn’t have to be focused on getting from A to B, sometimes it’s critical for someone to know we’re there with them in joy and pain. That’s what Christians recall each Christmas, that in Jesus, God chose to leave the splendour and safety of heaven to come and live amongst us, literally to ‘move into our neighbourhood’.

And that he now offers to remain with us, wanting us to chat (pray) and listen to him.

But staying in touch isn’t always easy. In a busy day I confess to occasionally feeling mild irritation when someone ‘just calls for a chat’. At such times we need to remind ourselves these are not merely ‘just a chat’ but the place of belonging, relationship and where love flourishes. I remember hearing from one church member who expressed a strong sense of frustration at their powerlessness in lockdown, especially when ‘so many are doing so much’. As we chatted through what they were doing, they had been faithfully phoning round people in the community who might have no other conversation that day. Far from powerlessness, that is helping improve lives for others in our community. Communication is gold dust.

With this in mind, I wanted to pay tribute to those locally who help us stay in touch. There’s probably never been a more challenging financial climate for local media, nor a more vital time we need them. Whether the Harborough Mail or HFM in our town, or some of the publications and stations that cover Leicestershire as a whole, and they perform an invaluable local service. We all belong most at the local level. It’s use them so we don’t lose them!

As financial deprivation is rightly highlighted – it’s almost impossible to know how hard life is for so many unless we’ve been there – it’s also important we don’t miss a sometimes more hidden relational deprivation. A couple of phone calls a day makes a bigger difference to others than we may know. Dare I say in some places we know each other better as a result of not being able to be in the same place. If we can carry that out of lockdown with us, it bodes well for the future.

Revd Barry Hill

Team leader, Church of England in and around Market Harborough

The Anglican Team has Safer Recruited volunteers to help with shopping or a friendly phone call or prayer.

Phone or text Andy Giles on 07825 021722 for details.