Tuesday’s Thoughts – March 17,2020

My prayer line’s 2020 Lenten study book  is Interruptions by Jacob Armstrong. We used it a few seasons ago and decided to resurrect it this year. Little did we know when we selected it that it would be the perfect backdrop for what we face today: an interruption of such magnitude that it’s difficult to understand it as anything except God demanding our attention. The study book follows Jesus’ ministry and highlights the interruptions that He faced as He went about it, and how those interruptions became opportunities. It suggests that all interruptions we encounter should be viewed as opportunities to stop and examine how we might better live the faith we profess; that interruptions are chances for us to redirect our pursuits, to reflect upon what God deems important, to drawer closer to Him and His purposes for our lives.

Surely in this time of shutdowns and closures and bans of all kinds, as our daily routines are interrupted in ways we could not have imagined just a few weeks ago, we are wise to figure out how to fashion this interruption to our individual and collective status quos into opportunities that reflect our faith principles. What might Jesus be calling us to do as this interruption continues? Already we get some signs. Neighbors are checking on the elderly and more vulnerable in their communities, reaching out to offer assistance if needed. In nursing homes and care facilities, staff are using their personal smart phones to provide opportunities for residents to facetime family. Friends are keeping in touch via more phone calls and text messaging. Churches are expanding worship opportunities beyond the walls of sanctuaries so that the gospel message reaches through virtual services many who would not otherwise receive it.

Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted life around the world. It has forced all humanity, from peasant to president,  to acknowledge that irrespective of how powerful we perceive ourselves to be, how in control of our destinies we think we are, how prepared we are for the threat of natural and man-made disasters, we  do not have complete control of anything.  Life is unpredictable. Interruptions come in all forms. They stop us in our tracks; they stun our sensibilities; they frighten us; they send us into panic mode. But they also offer us an opportunity to reverse course; to seek a better way; to turn back to the teachings of our faith convictions and embrace them in how we live in relationship with one another. As time marches onward during this latest interruption, may we who are Jesus people do what He did when He was interrupted. May we seek the opportunity within the interruption  and trust God to guide us in our responses.

Love. Joy and Peace.