We need leadership

There is no textbook to consult, different experts advise contrary courses of action, and emotions ranging from unease to fear grip the entire world, including our nation and, more locally, our communities of St Albans and Harpenden.

It is times like this that call for leadership both in the nation and the Church. Time will tell whether the Prime Minister will prove to be a leader who can unite the country and bring us all through this.

Pictures of Sir Winston Churchill have recently appeared in the national press for rather obvious reasons.

His leadership in the Second World War was of course outstanding, though quite off the wall. No textbook for him to follow!

In the Church the Archbishop of Canterbury does not hold any position as President or CEO. The Church of England does not operate like that.

But he is the one person who can still offer leadership for the whole Christian community and is seeking to do that in his wise and measured way.

The present predicament offers a wonderful opportunity for out-of-the-box thinking. Local church leaders in our communities are putting live-streaming into operation and setting up systems for supporting the vulnerable.

Christians serve one they call Master, Lord, King. His leadership style was one of a servant, a servant who died for his people.

He faced the crisis that is the human race and took our place for what we deserved in a way no one could have foreseen.

Real leadership shines in a crisis. Will we see it in the coming weeks?

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