Eastertide

May 17, 2020

Scripture Reading:
John 14:15-21

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ –John 14:18-21

Where do we see Christ in the world today? The news is so bad right now I understand why the various news sources have broadened or added good news stories to their output. We see or hear about people singing together from adjoining balconies in Italy. A grade-school boy secretly delivered hand sanitizer and toilet paper to his elderly neighbors. Nurses sit by dying patients because their families cannot be with them. Such behavior is undergirded by the knowledge that we are not left alone.

There are also stories about people building and stocking bunkers with food and other necessities plus weapons. I find it ironic that people willing to escape to a bunker are unwilling to wear a mask and practice physical distancing because it somehow shackles their personal freedoms. We do not like to deal with a force we cannot control. At this time, there is little we can do to contain the coronavirus. We do have control over how we respond to it and all of the side effects it is having on our society.

A friend sent me an article about how many people are dying alone. She commented that she wondered about that too and particularly about those who have no one routinely checking on them. I responded that we do need to identify those who are alone and let them know people care about them. I then added that I do not believe anyone ever dies alone because God is always with them. God does not leave us orphaned.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the opportunities we have to be present with those who feel alone. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.