Reflection for Sunday, March 15, 2020
“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.” – Colossians 2:5
If this were a normal Sunday in a normal week in a normal month of March in normal times, this would be one of my favorite days of the year.
This time a week ago, my expectations were that I’d spend today in church in the morning, sitting down with the Consistory for our regular monthly meeting for a little while, then going home to watch the last games of the NCAA Conference Tournaments, and eagerly await the Tournament Selection show to see where my two most beloved schools, Maryland, and yes – this year – even Rutgers – would be seeded.
You don’t need to tell me that we are not in normal times.
This past week I went around to a dozen different stores looking for hand sanitizer which was nowhere to be found.
This past week I spoke with colleagues from a dozen different churches about steps we were taking to make our churches safer and more sanitary for Sunday worship.
The past week I watched as entire sectors of the economy were greatly reduced or shut down entirely – including nearly every major and minor sports league – including my beloved college basketball.
I hope that for all of us, the coming of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will pass quickly into memory, and be little more than a few weeks’ nuisance. Yet we know that it spreads quickly, our immune systems aren’t prepared for it, and for a small but significant percentage of us, infection can lead to hospitalization and possibly death.
So it is prudent for us to be cautious at this time, and to take the advice of the CDC, the WHO, and nearly every major medical group, national and international – to practice “social distancing” to stop or slow the spread of this virus.
The danger that many of us face, apart from the physical effects of the virus, is the spiritual and emotional effect of the distancing.
God created us to be social creatures. To love our neighbors, to bond together, to create families, build communities, and do all the things that humans do as social creatures together. And even when we know it’s in our best interests and the greater good to quarantine ourselves and not expose ourselves or our families to the world around us, we still have those social urges. Because we still want to check in with our neighbors, shake our friends’ hands, or go catch a basketball game – even when we know we shouldn’t.
The social distancing, which is recommended and, yes, necessary, for our physical health… can slide easily into isolation, which is deeply harmful to our spiritual and emotional health.
I would urge us during this time of distance to not only prayer for each other, but to be intentional about reaching out to each other. Through phone calls, video calls, cards, and e-mails. To simply remind each other that though we are separated, we are not alone. Pray for each other, yes. But also pick up the phone and pray with each other.
We are the Church whether we meet together on a Sunday morning or not. And though the Church may be separated, it should never be isolated.
Sooner or later these days will pass and we will be able to gather once more, to sing and pray, to share a cup of coffee over a colorful argument or a good laugh. The basketball and football games will come back and we’ll fight over why my red team is better than your blue team. The simple joys of interaction that we took for granted a week ago will be remembered and cherished.
We will all look forward to those days. But for now, let us be a presence in each others’ lives. Cherish each other, remember each other, and reach out to each other, so that our physical distance will not leave any of us isolated. Be blessings to one another, just as God has blessed us. And may we all continue to find our hope and comfort in the blessings of our heavenly Father, in the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and in the faithful communion of the Holy Spirit.
- Pastor Dave
“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.” – Colossians 2:5
If this were a normal Sunday in a normal week in a normal month of March in normal times, this would be one of my favorite days of the year.
This time a week ago, my expectations were that I’d spend today in church in the morning, sitting down with the Consistory for our regular monthly meeting for a little while, then going home to watch the last games of the NCAA Conference Tournaments, and eagerly await the Tournament Selection show to see where my two most beloved schools, Maryland, and yes – this year – even Rutgers – would be seeded.
You don’t need to tell me that we are not in normal times.
This past week I went around to a dozen different stores looking for hand sanitizer which was nowhere to be found.
This past week I spoke with colleagues from a dozen different churches about steps we were taking to make our churches safer and more sanitary for Sunday worship.
The past week I watched as entire sectors of the economy were greatly reduced or shut down entirely – including nearly every major and minor sports league – including my beloved college basketball.
I hope that for all of us, the coming of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will pass quickly into memory, and be little more than a few weeks’ nuisance. Yet we know that it spreads quickly, our immune systems aren’t prepared for it, and for a small but significant percentage of us, infection can lead to hospitalization and possibly death.
So it is prudent for us to be cautious at this time, and to take the advice of the CDC, the WHO, and nearly every major medical group, national and international – to practice “social distancing” to stop or slow the spread of this virus.
The danger that many of us face, apart from the physical effects of the virus, is the spiritual and emotional effect of the distancing.
God created us to be social creatures. To love our neighbors, to bond together, to create families, build communities, and do all the things that humans do as social creatures together. And even when we know it’s in our best interests and the greater good to quarantine ourselves and not expose ourselves or our families to the world around us, we still have those social urges. Because we still want to check in with our neighbors, shake our friends’ hands, or go catch a basketball game – even when we know we shouldn’t.
The social distancing, which is recommended and, yes, necessary, for our physical health… can slide easily into isolation, which is deeply harmful to our spiritual and emotional health.
I would urge us during this time of distance to not only prayer for each other, but to be intentional about reaching out to each other. Through phone calls, video calls, cards, and e-mails. To simply remind each other that though we are separated, we are not alone. Pray for each other, yes. But also pick up the phone and pray with each other.
We are the Church whether we meet together on a Sunday morning or not. And though the Church may be separated, it should never be isolated.
Sooner or later these days will pass and we will be able to gather once more, to sing and pray, to share a cup of coffee over a colorful argument or a good laugh. The basketball and football games will come back and we’ll fight over why my red team is better than your blue team. The simple joys of interaction that we took for granted a week ago will be remembered and cherished.
We will all look forward to those days. But for now, let us be a presence in each others’ lives. Cherish each other, remember each other, and reach out to each other, so that our physical distance will not leave any of us isolated. Be blessings to one another, just as God has blessed us. And may we all continue to find our hope and comfort in the blessings of our heavenly Father, in the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and in the faithful communion of the Holy Spirit.
- Pastor Dave
