Philip and James (or Pip and Jim, as they're often affectionately referred to in this house) are, between them, the patron saints of hatters, pastry chefs, pharmacists and dying people.
If I broaden that slightly, we have: clothes, food, people who provide medicine, and the dying.
That seems to neatly sum up a lot of what is on our collective mind at the moment. Shopping is only really for food and other essentials, like medicine (and, especially with growing children, clothes). We have recognised, as a nation, that people who produce, distribute and sell food, and people who are involved in healthcare are the real 'key workers', and we have, by and large, underappreciated them and taken them for granted. We are concerned about how much protective clothing they have, and whether it is an appropriate size (especially for women). And, of course, as the death toll climbs higher, we are focused on how quickly the pandemic is being brought under control, and on grief - our own, and the grief of others.
In all of those, God can be found. Celebrating Philip and James today reminds us that.
As we reflect upon and pray about the current pandemic, they give us an extra reminder to give thanks for those keyworkers. For their work, and also for the fruits of their work - the bread we eat, the tablets we take, the clothes that keep us warm....
...perhaps today you might find it helpful to intentionally try to pause and say a quick prayerful 'thank you' each time you come across one of those things?
♫ Thank you
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