Dear Parishioners,
One of the things that I have experienced lately is that of
being alone. Even if I go out in public to the grocery store
or for a pickup at Target, with a mask on, I feel alone and
separate from others. The pandemic has also had an
insidious effect on my thinking in that I don’t know if the
person who is approaching down the aisle or bringing
things to my car is infected or not. I like to trust others and
expect good to come from our interaction, but the virus
has injected a degree of distrust into things. So, my recent
experience has included a little bit more alone time and
separation for others. Now I make it up with Zoom family
meetings where the 5-year-old hams it up for the camera
and makes all the faces she can. Also, I have connected
with friends from Indiana online, and this can be personal
and up close.
I am reminded that we are a communitarian religion guided by a triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a God in relationship, expecting us as well to be in relationship. I do not simply relate to God in my own unique way, having a special exclusionary relationship. No, I am a child of God among many, speaking not as a me but as a we. For me, God is less exclusionary and more inclusive. It is not a special club with a secret handshake. I am a part of creation that God pronounced good in Genesis. In Jesus’ final discourse in John (17:22) he says, “And I have given them the glory you gave me so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one…” so we are to be one in Christ. He also makes the point that He is with us, and we are not alone in Matthew (28:20), “And behold I am with you always until the end of the age.” Let us find comfort in our being church together, having a Savior with whom we are one and Who is with us always. There is great solace in these words. May God help us to persevere through these tough times and remember our connectedness with Him and each other.
Blessings,
Deacon Steve
