These words have probably been in your inbox again and again over the past couple of weeks. It seems that there is no conversation that doesn’t somehow include the novel coronavirus in one way or another. I am grateful for an article by Andy Crouch entitled Love in the Time of Coronavirus, which guided me in this time. (A link to the article is found on the bottom of this note.)
I am not here to tell you that everything is going to be fine or you’re going to be ok. As Andy Crouch points out, we are mortal human beings. There is no guarantee that everything will turn out. I’m not even here to tell you that you’re not going to get infected or people you love won’t be drastically affected by this virus, which has now been labeled a global pandemic. But before you hit the panic button, I hope you’ll hear me (or read me, rather) out.
We are a community that puts caring for one another in our very top priorities. We value our connections and work hard at seeing and hearing one another. And I expect it is going to be difficult in the coming weeks as we are pushed further into isolation. I think we can expect the coming weeks to be deeply difficult. AND, I genuinely believe that in the midst of the turmoil and the trouble, there is a peace to be had. Not a peace that says, “Everything is going to be alright.” But, instead, a peace that says, “Even when everything is not alright and the world is in chaos, I am grounded in who I am, I am known, and I am loved.” You are loved and you are you no matter what the weeks ahead bring us. You are valuable beyond measure.
It is important, critical even, that we protect the most at-risk people in our society and our lives at this time. We do it out of love and care. Because we value them, we are willing to change what we are doing in order to protect them. The reality is that, even if I get the virus, I will probably be able to recover without hospitalization. It will probably not be fun, but, in the end, I will be alright. But I have to change the things I’m doing, not to protect myself, but to protect those who will not recover as easily as I will.
So, as we change our behaviors because we value others, I hope that you will think about what you can do at this time:
- Remember your phone? That thing you use to text and scroll? It also has the ability to call someone, to hear their voice. Most of them even have the capability to see them electronically. Use that tool. Reach out to people who need connection and reach out to people because you need connection.
- You know how you go outside to your mailbox and there are bills and ads in there? You can also write a letter and send it to someone. In fact, we will likely have a little more time on our hands over the next few weeks. Let’s use it to write to someone we care about.
- Email. You keep getting these emails “out of an abundance of caution.” You can send your own to folks you know out of an abundance of love and care.
We have the opportunity to be creative about how we connect in the coming weeks. If you have ideas or want to collaborate on this, shoot me an email to sam@frontporchmv.org.
May you know that you are loved. May you know that you are valuable. And may you share that with others.
In Community,
Sam
https://journal.praxislabs.org/love-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-26aaeb0396e3