Leaving lockdown, secure in God’s love

Our “butterfly kit” began when tiny caterpillars arrived by post. After eating and growing, they turned into chrysalides. A fortnight later, five gorgeous Painted Lady butterflies emerged into their pop-up mesh habitat, where we loved watching them and feeding them nectar and fruit.

The time came to give them their freedom. No sooner had I unzipped the net, than the first butterfly flew out at speed. The second one crawled onto the lid, flexing its wings and assessing its environment before it gently took flight. The final three wouldn’t leave the safety of the net, and eventually we went back indoors. A day later, the third butterfly was released, flying away when my back was turned. But the last two seemed nervous, or maybe a little more cautious?

We finally said goodbye this afternoon. They spent some time warming their wings in the spring sunshine, drinking a last drop of sugared water, then delicately rose into the air and out of sight.

Each of us has different feelings about leaving lockdown, and consequently, we take different approaches to this week’s new freedoms. Some of us are champing at the bit to exit the house, visit friends and travel. Others take the return to a more normal life at a gentler pace, whilst some people find the whole experience nerve-wracking and long for the quiet of isolation.

We share the fact that we are still facing the unknown. We really don’t know how effective vaccines will be against new COVID variants. We cannot predict how long we will have to social distance. And it is not clear if there will be future lockdowns.

Amidst this sea of uncertainty, we can be sure that God is with us and He loves us. Paul wrote with unshakeable faith, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8: 38). Something to hold onto as we regain the freedoms of this world.

First written 17 April 2021