WATCHWORD:
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws.24 Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit’s power, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Then we won’t need to look for honors and popularity, which lead to jealousy and hard feelings. Galatians 5:22-26
Meditation:
Seeking Gifts
It was early March, when the first hints of that virus with the strange name, COVID-19, was making its self-felt, in our lives. We thought it would be gone in a month, perhaps two, but by the middle of March the predictions were becoming more and more dire. Group meetings were being suspended, schools were struggling to keep students safe, and “home-schooling” was becoming more and more common.
Throughout the country we were in turmoil, divided by regions, resisting the recommendations of the medical field. We found ourselves viewing COVID-19 along political lines, and it wasn’t working. You know the routines we all went through, and we first resisted, then embraced wearing masks. Churches learned technology and “streaming worship”, or suspension of in-church services was common.
Science provided the way out of this mess, and even when the vaccine was available, we struggled with the question would we be willing to put ourselves out for the health and welfare of the greater good? It could be hard to consider others needs when we’re so anxious about our own. For many of us we are suddenly confronted with a question, is God testing us? Has this all been a test? Can we equate this with some of the Old Testament stories that we have heard so much about? But, we just need to turn to a familiar phrase in the New Testament for the answer, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Now we are emerging from the pandemic, I wonder how we have changed. Look at the Galatian reading. Did we ask the Holy Spirit to give us love to replace our indifference, joy to counter sadness, peace to replace our anxiety, patience to over-ride impulsiveness, kindness to care about others, goodness to see to their needs, faithfulness to keep our promises, gentleness instead of cruelty and self-control to take us beyond our self-centeredness?
Yes, we have changed but how and in what ways? Will the good ways last, or will we revert to old habits and thoughts? Will those other ways, those “easy” ways, continue into new habits left in place? On the whole, we still reach more of our congregations through streaming than in-church worship. Schools and higher education still rely, in large measure, on on-line learning.
God is not done with us. Whatever we have been experiencing has passed through His hands. Yet, new variants seemly pop-up daily. Mask-mandates change day to day, region to region. Author Richard Foster once described holiness as “the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.” A question remains – Do we still have the capacity to make sacrifices for the sake of others? Holy Spirit, fill us with the power to do what needs to be done. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Holy Spirit, fill me afresh today and make me a person of virtue. Amen
