LIVING WITH THE COVID-19 BLUES

The sunrise this morning, on the first day of autumn, was breathtakingly beautiful. The day began clear, crisp and cool. With the low humidity that comes in the fall, I could see mountains upon mountains looming into the distance. The sense of clarity and wonder that I experience as I look out over the horizon on these autumn mornings fills me with a sense of excitement, exhilaration and hope.

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. It is a wonderful transitional time which allows us to pause and take a deep breath between the warmth, the light and often carefree rhythm of summer and the dark and cold of winter. We, like the creatures of nature we see scurrying and flying about, can use this as a time to get ready for what is to come in the days ahead. So, in this time between summer and winter, it seems right to reflect on all that has happened to us here in our worshipping community, not to mention the world around us, over the last several months.

Our Good Shepherd community last met and worshipped in a regular and “normal” fashion on March 8, as winter was ending, and spring was emerging. We have been living under the cloud of Covid-19 for seven months now. Our time in the pandemic has now touched all four seasons. Who amongst us, when we called off in person worship on March 15, would have thought we would still be battling this virus in September? Who would have thought we would still be spending the better part of our days (and lives) at home?

Certainly, I did not see this coming. But here we are, keeping our distance while trying to stay connected. There is an awkward tension involved in this dance and it is often difficult to maintain and find the balance. We are social creatures—even the most introverted amongst us—and we need each other in order to be fully alive. I will admit to a certain degree of weariness, exhaustion and even depression as our days of social distancing, handwashing and mask wearing have stretched into weeks and months with the end nowhere in sight. And yet, the path out of this pandemic, calls and even requires that we take these measures for the health and safety of our neighbors and ourselves.

I believe these safety measures- social distancing, handwashing and mask wearingwill benefit us all and help to keep us safe. More importantly, I know our church community, the Church of the Good Shepherd, will nurture, hold up, look after and love each other through this crisis. In these last seven months when I have been discouraged and uncertain about what to do or how to move forward, this community has held me, encouraged me and filled me with inspiration, strengthening my faith. Just as many of you have strengthened me, I trust Good Shepherd has done the same for you. I hope that our prayer offerings, meditations, classes, worship and any other virtual or in person activities have lifted you and warmed your heart.

I miss all of our in-person gatherings. Truly, there is no substitute for being together. And yet, if we believe in prayer—and I do—we are connected by and through our prayers. Though we are not physically together, we still hold each other. I feel and am held by your prayers. Continue to hold onto each