For This Unending Pandemic
Image of sunlight streaming through a winter pine tree landscape by Raphael Stager on Unsplash
What am I feeling these days? Thankful? Hopeful? Trepidation?
After two and a half years of expertly (sometimes accidentally) avoiding COVID, it finally got us. It got us good. While we still mask in stores and have kept the family’s vaccine status on schedule, it took one weekend in a place with a low vaccination rate, where people tend to not even bother with tests if they’re sick and try their best to act like everything is normal, and we got it. The numbers are increasing yet again, but this time, mitigation is completely optional and often disregarded.
We long to live lives unmarked by grief.
I find myself vacillating between sadness and anger that we’re here again. A time like this requires that we all learn to make the most of what we have, stepping back and being more protective when the numbers are up and risk is higher, accepting the here and now for what it is. It’s not always winter and never spring, because we have had moments of reprieve where we see life opening before we need to bring it back home again. It’s a teeter-totter still out of balance. And watching a large part of society resist that gives me feelings.
I know the feeling: this is grief.
I want to plead with people to value each other, have more empathy, to see the person they speak to and speak about as human, even through a screen. To get vaccinated, wear a mask more often just a little longer, listen to the scientists behind the vaccines and public health policy and see them as human, too.
To do whatever they can to humanize people they don’t like or agree with.
Even in the midst of all of this, when I turn my eyes to Jesus, I can see the ways He has been so good to us. I bring all of it to Him, naming the ways it hurts and the places I see Him working.
What can I fear?
Our God is filled with compassion, offers abundant life, washes us clean of impure hearts and renews our hearts and minds. These things can’t be found in the world—but in Him, we have incredible peace, goodness, and rest.
Combative Praise is a practice I use to reorient my mind on the faithfulness of God. Today, take some time to write down the ways you’ve seen Him show up in your life, past and present. Even if the only thing on your list is that He died for you, His faithfulness to you in keeping your faith steadfast. Then, write down what you hope He has for your future. Those things may not be set in stone, but we’re allowed to participate with the Lord in His plans for our lives.
Having these questions in my head help me as I read the Scripture passages:
What sensations am I feeling in my body? Where am I feeling it?
What emotions are rising to the surface?
Do I know the context of this passage? What is it? (It’s ok if you don’t know, you can try to find out what it means.)
How is this relevant right now?
What does this show me about God?
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:1-16 (NIV)
I’ll leave you with this passage from Acts 2, but I recommend looking up and reading the full chapter.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)
If you music helps you get in touch with your feelings, check out my free Spotify playlist, linked below.
This post was originally written by me for The Bstro Blog on Wordpress. It has been edited and repurposed for this site.
