So Now What?

COVID-19 has brought with it distancing of the saints from one another. Most of us have spent the last couple of months cooped up in our homes with little interaction with the outside world apart from trips to the grocery store and virtual meetings. We now find ourselves in a strange time where we are working our way out of that isolation however, the threat that sent us there hasn’t gone away. Yet we know that God designed the church in such a way that we need one another. So where do we go from here? The following are some of my thoughts on how this process ought to look.

Expect the unexpected (James 4:13-17)            

None of us knows what will happen next and that is ok. We need to recognize that God is in control of our current and future circumstances and we can trust Him. He has promised to work all things together for good for those who love Him. Therefore, no matter what setbacks that we run into we can trust God with the details. 

Move forward at your own pace (Heb 10:24-25)            

Each of us has experienced this pandemic differently and God uses those differences to shape our thinking in our own way. For example, some have continued to work outside the home while others have remained at home. Therefore, each of us must move toward re-socialization at our own pace. Pray, plan and participate to the best of your abilities at a pace that you are comfortable with. 

Love one another (John 15:12)           

The most important part of this process is that we must love one another. As each person has to work through this at their own pace we ought to encourage and help one another. We cannot pressure someone to move faster or slower than they are comfortable with. Let us love those who wear masks and those who do not and bear the burdens of both those who are ready for face to face fellowship and those who are not. 

Seek unity in diversity (Romans 12:4-5)            

The diversity of experiences and thinking that we have in our congregation is a good thing. It helps us to see a fuller and truer worldview. We must use that diversity to help each other and in doing so we will experience unity. We are called to humility and unity. If our goal is to love each other through our differences the result will be beautiful.