It's ok to not be ok

This stinks. Most of us hate change, especially externally imposed changes. And this inanimate, microscopic invader, this not-even-living thing, has done just that. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on a roller coaster. Grief is kicking in. The uncertainty arouses anxiety. I reel from hope to discouragement to frustration to calm like a drunken sailor on the last day of shore leave. I am, however, greatly encouraged by two things. We are seeing, in a lot of ways, the benefits of technology, particularly social media. While it’s true that we can spend too much time obsessing over the latest reports on Facebook, we are also joining in worship and in community through live streaming. We are seeing places and things we might never have seen thanks to institutions and persons sharing their time and passions remotely and for free (actors reading kids’ stories, live zoo animal exhibits, and so on). We might be separated, but we are together in ways we never imagined. And that is the second – the community that is springing up all around, even in social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Communities always seem to come together in times of crisis. People are reaching out and finding new ways to connect and love their neighbors. From having stuck at home kids write cards to isolated care facility residents to Zoom Bible study and prayer groups, we’re letting others know they matter. We were never meant to live apart from community. We cannot live without it in one form or another. Stay connected. Check in on your neighbors near and far. We’re all in this together. Together, we’ll get through this.