MONDAY MUSINGS April 27, 2020
We will soon learn how much longer we will be asked to continue this very unnatural expectation of social distancing. This life-style may have been seen as right for hermits and the Desert Fathers in the early centuries of the Christian Church. They thought personal isolation was the preferred avenue to commune with God and practice personal righteousness. However, this is not a welcome restriction for many of us who have lived lives dependent on developing and nurturing human relationships, old and new.
Yes, we have endeavored to compensate in creative ways, to bridge the distances, to keep in “touch,” to gather virtually to carry on businesses and make decisions, and to keep intact communities and relationships.
I am very eager to remove the requests and mandates that have governed these restrictions that have kept us apart. I am also aware of the necessity to continue to be apart for the health and safety of those around us, and ourselves. With limited testing and no proven vaccine, we could be vulnerable for many more months.
I remember snow storms in January of both 1977 and 1978 when we lived in Fort Wayne which made us house-bound for 3 or 4 days. We had heat and food and electricity, so “camping in” with three children was a happy time, and the clock didn’t matter. Our present situation is so very different, in length, in uncertainty, with very real financial implications, and with the threat of this disease.
“This too will pass.” That is a comforting thought, but I think we will need to live our way into a “new normal” that will challenge us. New patterns will emerge. New priorities may present themselves. We may discover new insights into ourselves and those about us.
Mourn for some of what will never be the same again. Be open to what now can be possible in the new spaces. Savor life, and the life-giving God of Jesus Christ.
Peace, John Krueger
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