Distance

Social Distancing.
A term used to describe the current state of the world as we desperately try to combat the deadly Coronavirus by increasing our distance from those around us.

Convenient.
In a world where people are already so distant and distracted from one another, it is terrifying to think that a pandemic disease is pushing us to be farther apart from one another than ever before.

Heartbreaking.
With schools closed across the world, businesses shutting their doors and urging remote access, and people bombarding local stores for everyday essentials, it is devastating to witness the chaos that is slowly becoming the new normal.

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A Chaotic Reality.

My church shut its doors to the public for the rest of the month. I get it- we are a cautious body of Believers- but it was still an amazingly startling decision to hear. As Believers, we are the eyes, ears, hands, etc. of Christ Himself and to think that we must limit our reach is just a sad realization of the reality that we now face. Now we must answer the daunting question: How can I show the love of Christ remotely and without embrace? I don’t know if we fully know the answer as yet, but we are pressing towards an inevitable resolve.

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As I prepared to facilitate a Mental Health First Aid class on Saturday morning my heart was so heavy. While I am an introvert, a person who recharges from within, I am also an empath and I pick up on the energy of others. Picking up on their energy allows for the drive of my own energy; sometimes a hug from the right person can resuscitate the dying energy within me and bring me back to life. My heart was heavy as I thought of all of the people around me who were about to be starved from the social interaction that we so desperately need… even if we don’t know how to express what we are feeling. We need embrace; we need to feel the love of those around us. Whether we recharge alone or with others, we all need to feel the warmth of a reassuring and loving hug.

We were made to be social.

In Genesis God created the world and all its life. Everything that He created was good… until He saw that Adam was alone. It was with that realization that He created Eve, declaring, “…’It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’” (Genesis 2:18). Even in the very beginning of time, God knew that companionship was a crucial part of life. God being God could have said that all we needed was Him and the land that He provided but right there in Genesis God tells us time and time again that fellowship and relationship with one another is also important.

We weren’t made to be socially distant.

Maybe it’s because I have silenced social media and television for Lent but I now have a deeper desire to connect in person with people. Since I am unable to like and follow the lives of my “friends”, I am left with a longing for personal touch and intimate connection with those closest to me. Social distancing is the current law of the land but I need [romantic and platonic] intimacy. Sharing space and love with others is what excites me… distance isn’t my friend.

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Yesterday morning as my church family and I watched the live sermon via our church’s website, a young girl gave her life to Christ. She was in her home with her mother and her mother shared the news via chat. We rejoiced with her- virtually- but I longed to hug her and congratulate her on this major step in her life. She is my former tutor student and I just wanted to reassure her on the journey to come however, we have to be socially distant.

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Beloved, I honestly don’t know what else to write because my heart is still so heavy. So since I am at a loss, I will just close in prayer:

Father, I come to You with a broken and heavy heart. I thank You for Who You are and how you are working, even in the midst of this pandemic. Right now I pray for the families of those affected by this deadly virus. The number of lives lost is great and my heart mourns with their families. For those who are still alive and battling the virus, I ask that You would remember them even now and restore their bodies to full wellness. Lord, if You are willing, please remove and eradicate this disease from the face of this earth… but nevertheless, may Your will be done. Please walk with us as we step into the uncertainty of the days to come. Lord, I don’t know what my finances will look like at the end of this but the way my faith is set up, I trust You even in that. Lord, I don’t know how You will make a way, but I trust You even in that. Heal, restore, and rebuild in Your own way, Father, and allow me to draw closer to You than ever before. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Be safe and be blessed.