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Voices out of lockdown 7
Preface These are the voices of a few people living through the Covid19 pandemic, and what government and media called ‘lockdown’, the restrictions imposed in European countries in March 2020. While using a word that many people will recognise, we acknowledge that it is abhorrent to some. None of this material was commissioned; it represents what a handful of people were moved to write, often with urgency, from the common ground of this crisis, which isn’t over yet. Much is still being written, in many languages, about experiences which people all over the world will recognise. There is so much powerful writing out there, right now, being published in different ways. What do we have to offer here that may be unique and useful? These writers are members and associates of the Iona Community, a radical ecumenical international movement with a down-to-earth approach to theology. Putting together this collection is an example of our ‘engaged spirituality’. It explores shared experiences and asks tough questions. Faith for these writers takes different forms, but doesn’t find easy answers. For the most part, because of length, we haven’t attempted to include prose, although from the Community and wider society we’re aware of reports, articles and reflections, which are well worth reading. Instead we focus on poetry, psalmody, prayer. There are repeating riffs on themes that touch us deeply. You’ll find here, however, two pieces of prose, written
