It’s hard to believe it was only three weeks ago that we gathered in the sanctuary on Ash Wednesday. “You are dust, and to dust you shall return,” we said, as we traced the sign of the cross on each other’s foreheads. Then COVID-19 showed up in our city—in a church, of all places—as an alarming reminder of our mortality.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately of how this pandemic arrived (in our part of the world, anyway) at the beginning of Lent. I don’t know about you, but my experience of Lent through the years has been hit-and-miss at times. I'm offering my confession here: I don’t always make it all the way to Easter before tearing into that bag of Oreos or ordering that glass of cabernet at the restaurant.
This year, however, COVID-19 has sent us into a Lenten wilderness like none we’ve experienced before. Look no further for proof than the empty shelves at the grocery store: instead of going without in these weeks before Easter, people actually have begun hoarding. But as with all things that cause us fear and dread, if we pause long enough to breathe and get our bearings, we’ll find the gift of God waiting for us at the center.
And so, here's my updated list of Lenten practices for 2020:
As COVID-19 sends us into isolation from others, let this new reality invite us to identify all the more with Jesus’ lonely pilgrimage into the wilderness.
As the coronavirus imposes more “space” in your schedule, remember again the holy rhythm of sabbath: pausing; resting; becoming still.
Keep up with information about the pandemic as it unfolds. It’s important to stay abreast of the news. Then turn it off and go outside and take a walk. Notice the cherry blossoms and daffodils blooming, and listen—really listen—to the Song Sparrows and Blue Jays. Signs of resurrection are all around us these days.
Observe social distancing as a gift to the people around you and give thanks for the connections that Facebook, texting, Twitter, Instagram and email offer these days. Then, at some point, consider picking up a pen and writing a letter (I love getting cards and notes!) or picking up the phone so someone on the other end can hear your voice and even see your face -- especially if they are feeling anxious or lonely. In these days of physical separation, personal connections are a treasure.
Choose community. FBC is offering a variety of options for leaning in toward one another as a church family. You’ll find them in our weekly news updates and Tim P-R is standing by to offer technology assistance to anyone who needs it.
The Highest Use of a Shaken Time
In 1952, at the threshold of the Cold War, Harry Emerson Fosdick spoke to students and faculty at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkely. After acknowledging the uncertainty and chaos in the world at that time, he spoke these now-famous words: “The highest use of a shaken time is to discover the unshakable.”
This is the church's invitation in this unprecedented hour. As COVID-19 causes the social, economic, political and religious structures around us to quake beneath our feet, the people of God return to the unshakable. We come back to the Source that does not move. We join the ancient ones, our ancestors in faith who, in the midst of cataclysm and uncertainty, raised their voices to sing:
"God is our refuge and strength...
And though the whole earth should change,
we will not fear.
Though the mountains themselves should tremble
and fall into the seas…
we will not be afraid.
For God, our God, is with us,
a refuge and strength." (Psalm 46)
“The highest use of a shaken time is to discover the unshakable.” This is our calling: to return again and again to that which cannot be shaken:
The unwavering love of God.
The calling of Christ to love God, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The empowerment and encouragement of the Spirit.
Beloveds, God is our refuge and strength. Take heart and don’t be afraid.
Peace and grace,
