‘A minute’s silence’
Good morning,
Later today, at 11 am (BST), a minute’s silence will be held across the UK to commemorate key workers who have died with coronavirus. More than 100 NHS and care staff have died with the virus, as have many transport and other key workers. Yesterday the Master, Professor Lorna Milne, wrote to students and staff, “We are every one of us in their debt, and I hope that as many of us as possible are able to show our respect and observe the 11 o’clock silence.”
For many who observe a minute’s silence today, there will be inescapable connections with other times of silence. In the University, we keep two minutes’ silence at 11 am in the chapel service on Remembrance Day, to remember all who have died during service in war. We have also observed periods of silence when laying wreaths for Founders and Benefactors, or on the PH outside Chapel to recall Patrick Hamilton and all martyrs. And then there are also times of silence in memorial services, when dedicating memorial benches and trees, and when gathering on those desperate occasions when someone is missing.
Our Companionship emails and blogposts have touched on silence on a number of occasions. If you are interested, you are welcome to explore these at https://chaplaincycompanionship.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/companionship-blogs/. See the posts for 26 March, 31 March, 11 April, 15 April and 20 April which all discuss silence in some way.
But today’s is different, a silence specifically for those who have given their lives in the service of other people during this time of pandemic. If we are able to hold this silence, let us do so to honour their work, their commitment, their service, their loss, their memory and their inspiration.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13, New Living Translation)
Yours,
Donald.