大象传媒

A man finds himself by chance in the country he fled as a political prisoner as the virus spreads and he is trapped. An atheist looking for peace in lockdown. A writer looking for a way to stay united with her community. Very different people, with very different beliefs, united in prayer.

In a special Heart and Soul series for the 大象传媒 World Service, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, the journalist John McCarthy brings together reflections from people of faith around the world. In this fifth programme, John hears how people are reaching for prayer at this time - in an age old response to such a crisis. Prayer can be a repeated phrase, a daily ritual, a casual conversation or a cry for help and it is not just people of conventional faith who are doing it.

Sanderson Jones does not believe in God, but the stand-up comedian says he has found something akin to prayer whilst pushing his son in a buggy in his allotted daily exercise. Mario Aguilar is a hermit who lives a life of quiet contemplation. But he was on a short visit in his native Chile when lockdown began. Order, discipline and simple prayer have carried him through what he admits has been a tough time.

As the world faces the prospect of many months of lockdown we hear how prayer and meditation can bring comfort and calm.

Presenter: John McCarthy
Producer: Olive Clancy