The Flip Side
By now, many of you are experiencing the second week of social distancing, or self isolation. Perhaps for some it doesn’t feel much different than most weeks. We have become more accustomed to having conversations using text messages and email, and find entertainment in more solitary ways these days anyway. I admit, for the first few days, I embraced the change in structure and schedule and invested in some necessary work around my home. The list of things to do to keep me busy is lengthy, so I will probably not get bored. Yet with the passing of time, the distance between us as people will be palpable. We are made to be together. We depend on each other, socially, organizationally and certainly commercially. One has to wonder how long it will take to recover from this time of complete shut down.
Panic, regret, and cries for help are very familiar. Usually, when everything else is off, you can count on the church to be open, and receptive and to be a place of solace and comfort. Yet the churches are also deeply affected by the invasion of the COVID-19 virus. Everything has ground to a screeching halt. While small business owners are wondering if they will survive, some also wonder if churches will survive this pandemic. We are not beyond the feelings and reality of vulnerability.
But there is also a force at work within us. Something that draws us back to life. Some would name that the Holy Spirit, always challenging, creating and recreating. Finding life, when others see death and pointing to the reality of abundant life in God. This week, some of you will gather virtually, others will tune in to online services or written documents provided by your pastors. Time to reflect on where God is in the middle of this mess will be available if you want it. In this sort of imposed Sabbath from schedules and routines, maybe there will be moments of the sacred. Conversations with friends and relatives, neighbours and colleagues which cause you to remember that we really are not alone.
The story of the raising of Lazarus as told by the gospel writer John is on the list of selected reading for this week. (John 11:1-45). It’s a story full of emotion. You can almost hear the panic in Martha’s voice as she runs to meet Jesus, several days too late. You can hear the grief in his response, even through his own tears as he greets his friend Martha. You can hear the astonishment as Lazarus moves beyond death to a new life in Christ; abundant life that is always offered, and a foreshadowing of what Jesus will himself go through in the coming days. In these moments of fear and panic, there is always a flip side. Innovation is usually born out of necessity. It will serve us well to remember that though the outcome is still uncertain, we are not alone.
A faith for today, is one that opens us to the possibility that out of the darkest days, hope is born. That is at the core of these stories that bring us closer to Easter. Thanks be to God. We need them now.
Rev. Donna Tourneur ministers among the people of Trinity United Church in New Glasgow.