How are you doing, really?
This past week I had opportunity to talk with a friend from one of the organizations that I belong to. She admitted, on our phone call, that she’s been struggling over the last few weeks especially. They’d had worry over a small child in the family who’d had serious health issues and who died in hospital only a few weeks ago. I asked how they were doing with that. The little girl was only two; surely that would be hard. Also their godson had finally come home from the cruise ship where he was working after 100 days aboard. That would have been a relief to have him back in Canada.
While those situations have caused much angst and sadness, it seemed that the overall situation, the uncertainty of the future, took up a good part of her anxiety. We talked frankly, rather I mostly listened and gave her permission to share. And I shared about days I felt sad or anxious too.
We are both women of faith and we talked about how our churches are dealing with being apart. They have a call chain that checks in on each member of the congregation and she makes several calls a week, if I remember correctly. And they get a call too.
Our minister at St. Stephen’s gives a short meditation with music each week that he posts on Youtube. At times, the music director or members from our congregation participate in the music, or share the peace. I’ve had opportunity to read a lesson for the day. We have a prayer group—a small group—with the blessing of our pastor. While we do have people calling shut-ins and seniors, I don’t know how wide that extends over the congregation.
Each church body that I’ve looked into is doing something a little different, gathering on online platforms “together as we are apart” as our minister says each week. Another church in the city has the pastor deliver her sermon right in the church, and on the Third Sunday after Pentecost a soloist and the music director offered their music in the choir loft. It was both meditative and encouraging.
Still another, a smaller congregation, Radiant City where I join in most weeks, has the members online by video or telephone with the minister giving the message and congregation members participating. There is no doubt that the church is at work, in each instance, even though the doors are closed for now.
Spiritual health is just as important as physical and emotional health. It’s like they’re wrapped up in a bundle together. And people who are Christians are struggling with this pandemic too, even as they know Jesus is there with them. Even as they know creation goes on, the trees burst into leaf and flowers into bloom, and vegetables and fruit continue to grow while this whole uncertainty goes on.
We do not know how the situation will look in weeks or months from now. That is the challenge for health professionals and governing bodies to deal with, and for Christians alike to ponder and follow best directives. Especially when people we love may be out of work, racism rears its ugly head, and we know there are folks who have no resources and little money to deal with it.
For my friend, who is certainly not alone in feeling anxious, we place our hope in Someone who’s greater than all that goes on around us, and at times we even forget and take the worry on ourselves. We can still pray for each other and remember that God is with us in these times.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[d]
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.