Table of Contents
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Enlarging the Spirit"Recognizing our fears, praying them, and placing them in God’s hands will transform our lives, awaken us to our better angels, and enlarge our spirits in a time of pandemic, regardless of what the future brings. This is not wishful thinking or denial, but the affirmation that spiritual practices and healthy theological reflection enable us to gain a larger perspective on life — one that allows us to embrace the totality of our feelings, knowing that love is stronger than death and enabling us to discover that courage is fear that has said its prayers. In this time of pandemic, let us believe, with all our doubts, that nothing can separate us from the love of God!" Trust in the healing Circle"The Psalmist vacillates between anxiety and trust. The old order is collapsing. The future is uncertain. Will Jerusalem survive the onslaught? Yet, the Psalmist finds perspective. The God of Jacob, the One who saves the helpless, is with us. Then, in the quiet center of the political and social cyclone, the Psalmist finds peace. “Be still and know that I am God.” There is stillness in the storm. There is a place where fear finds love and anxiety is transformed into action. That place is the still point where God’s Spirit and our spirits meet, where we discover in the most difficult situations that God is a lively healing circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere." |
Fear as an element of Faith"I have come to believe that fear is also a necessary element of faith. If we trust the witness of the Psalms and the Hebraic prophets, anger, lament, protest, gratitude, and elation are also elements of faith. We trust in God. We have experienced the power of prayer and the life-changing presence of grace. But our courage often vacillates when we are confronted confronted by the internal and external storms of life. Like Peter, when we take our eyes off Jesus, the waves of fear overwhelm us and we sink into the raging sea (Matthew 14:28-33). The waves are real and we can drown. Denial of threat may lead to death. Caution is in order. But within the waves, there is a buoying force to lift us up and carry us to safety." Wash your Hands"The Zen Buddhists say that “before I was enlightened, I chopped wood and carried water. After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.” Ordinary actions can be portals into holiness. Thin places where heaven and earth meet are everywhere for those awake to the ever-present, ever-active, ever-loving God. During this time of pandemic, we are counseled to wash our hands regularly for twenty seconds…Many persons have found strength in reciting the Lord’s Prayer or Psalm 23, both of which take about twenty seconds to say…Remember that this pandemic is a time for kindness, so reach out safely and with appropriate social distancing to persons in need and persons in your community of faith. Greet the letter carrier and other service persons with smiles and patience, blessing them in your heart or words." |