In times like this, when the things we do routinely that help keep us grounded are no longer possible, and it feels like the world has been turned upside down, we can become anxious and fearful. Especially if our mind and our heart have lost focus on God's presence.
Becoming self-focused and consumed by our internal thoughts, anxieties and fears can result in a downward mental and spiritual spiral that does us, and those around us, no earthly good! The best advice I ever had in this regard was to focus outward when I find myself spiraling inward; specifically, look for opportunities to help someone.
But how do we do that when we're being asked to avoid crowds, public spaces and we're spending most of our time in virtual meetings, virtual worship services, etc? Well, one of our parishioners, Josh Montgomery, found this form on social media and sent it along with a suggestion.
Here is what he shared in an email: "My thoughts are that it [the form] could be texted ... to their neighbors, friends, workout partners, co-workers, etc... however, the great potential is that people would be reaching out to those who do not come to church, do not end up on email lists of any church ... think of 5 people in [your] neighborhood to deliver this too, or to text it to them. Maybe 5 fellow moms from their kids school. 5 fellow dads from their sons baseball team. Life groups should take time together to text it to other people not in their life group... who would you want to be in this life group, who probably isn’t connected to any Christian community that you could send it to?”
Maybe you don't prefer the form that Josh shared or his approach. That's OK. Come up with your own way of reaching out in the midst of this challenging time. There are many ways to share the love of Christ with the world: write notes, make phone calls, leave simple gifts on peoples door step and so on. God is in the midst of these circumstances and is working to redeem, to reconcile and save His creation one person at a time. We, the Church, are his partners in that work. Be in prayer, especially for the marginalized and for those who are living check-to-check who will suffer disproportionally as a consequence of the cessation of social services, loss of employment and of income, for health care workers, for the elderly and those who care for them. Spend time today thinking and praying for how God may want to use you to make a difference, even if just for one person, in the midst of the COVD-19 pandemic. May He be glorified in our response to these challenging times.
Praise be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has and will meet all our needs in Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior. Amen.
Yorumlar