Greetings! As we get to the end of the first full-week of being “house-bound,” I hope that you are all coping as well as you can be given the circumstances. I think we are all better adapters than we give ourselves credit for. Most of us have a stack of books which are half-finished, or others for which the spines have never been cracked; movies yet to be watched, or myriad others we want to watch again; conversations we’ve put off; or, time to sit in silence contemplating the Divine.
The politics of this pandemic have, at times, felt overwhelming. The daily press briefings with their pontificating and self-congratulating make me nauseous. The true experts, though, are fabulous, using all of their skills to navigate the complexities of this extraordinary time in our public life. They deserve our humble thanks. It is for such a time as this that they’ve prepared their whole lives and we owe them our gratitude.
I’m frustrated that we are unable to meet “in person” as a congregation. I miss you, greatly. You are my friends and companions on “The Way.” I am in the process of devising opportunities to bring us together “virtually.” Still, there are no substitutes for a handshake, a full-bodied hug, a big smile, or a quick embrace. We are, at our core, “social beings.” We’re not designed to be alone. It’s been that way from the beginning in the Garden. We “crave” the other, and we are fulfilled by their presence in our lives.
So, reach out across the digital divide and stay in touch. I need you, and hopefully you need me. I will hold you all in my prayers, and I trust you will do the same for me. Pray for the world as a whole, as well — we are all in this together. These are extraordinary times — literally times of crisis. With God’s guidance, and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we will manage it together! Blessings on you all!