I don’t know about you, but this whole COVID thing has brought me some unexpected clarity. Stillness does that, I believe. The great mystics of the faith were on to something with their notions of solitude, silence, listening, and meditation. God Himself said “be still and know that I am God.”
In my stillness, here are some things that have become clear.
*I love flowers.
*Nobody is expendable. A local retirement community, where several of my friends live, has had three COVID deaths. This has hit really close to home. As we reboot the economy, which we must do, more people are likely to die, but let’s hold it all with honoring hearts rather than street rallies that offend front-line workers.
*Virtual gatherings aren’t all bad. Over the past few weeks, I’ve treasured friends’ faces on Zoom and listened to some powerful online sermons. I hope the rebooted Church will let go of anything shallow and showy (in order to be “relevant”). I think people are craving the deep and contemplative. People are looking for answers, not an entertainment hour.
*“We are drowning in information while starving for wisdom.” I hope the rebooted government will take heed. (From “The Mind Unleashed”))
*Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 has taken on new meaning.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
There’s a time for it all. Life is complex. As we reboot ourselves, how are we going to do that well, in both good times and bad?
Maybe flowers give us a clue. Look around. They just keep showing up—quietly, beautifully, and forward-facing.