Sacred Connections: "Do not worry"
This past Wednesday, our Gospel reading for the Early Evening Devotion was from Luke 12:22 -31. It begins with Jesus telling the disciples, “…do not worry about your life…”, and then reassuring them and us that God cares for us, knows what we need, and that our striving and worrying is to no avail. These are words of encouragement, comfort, and perspective to the disciples, and to us. However, as I read the lesson several times, I also kept hearing the lyrics of the old Bobby McFerrin song, “Don’t Worry Be Happy” rattling around in my brain. His words do not speak of God tending to our needs, but they do echo the futility and cost of worry. “In every life we have some trouble but when you worry you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy."
“Do not worry” – undoubtedly good advice on all fronts, but at times, easier to encourage than do. We’ve had so much cause for worry, for concern over the past fourteen months of the pandemic. We’ve had to change how we lived, how we worked, how we pursued our educations, how we provided for our needs, how we visited with loved ones, how we worshipped together. It has been a profound journey, and somehow, for many, it has brought us closer together.
Our times of physical absence from one another has made us so acutely aware of how much our ability to be with each other means to us. We’ve missed the casual conversations at the workplace, the burgeoning new friendships in the classroom, the comfort of gathering with family, and friends, and as a faith community. It’s not that we took those things for granted, but maybe we did a little bit. This time of absence and scarcity has helped us see the preciousness of these many gifts in our daily lives.
Then yesterday, with seemingly little advance notice and few caveats, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people can resume much of their “normal” lives, indoors, and outdoors, without physical distancing or masks. What phenomenally encouraging news! I’d be dancing in my front yard, were I not a bit in shock. And, what another adjustment to make! Many of us may have spent chunks of time yesterday, checking out news source after news source, feeling the need to keep confirming this is truly the official guidance. After so many months of so much discipline and restriction, could this really be happening now? We had gotten used to the constant need for vigilance and caution, it may take us a little while to ease up on that a bit, re-set our risk tolerance again. And certainly, our experience over this last year, has taught us not to take anything for granted.
This encouraging announcement may not dramatically change the outer appearances of things in our lives. It is surely good news for the fully vaccinated, but there are still many who are not yet vaccinated and some not yet able to be. There are many still at risk.
As we begin our regathering for in-person worship indoors, we will not be distinguishing between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, we will continue, at least for now, with masks and distancing. Our commitment remains steadfast, to do our best to keep each other healthy and safe, and for the Church of the Redeemer sanctuary to be a welcoming space where all who enter may feel cared for and safe.
Yet, this feels like a moment to breathe in deeply, to relish, to celebrate. We could not have gotten to this place of real hope without our care and sacrifice for each other. We couldn’t have gotten this far without a deep commitment to keeping each other safe, following the science, honoring each other’s risk tolerance, and finding new ways to be connected every day.
This journey together continues to be one of revelation, reminding us of who we are, and whose we are. This journey is guided by and filled with Jesus’ call to love our neighbors as ourselves, to love one another. Despite all the challenges and difficulties, the losses and grief, the worry and fear, this has been and continues to be a journey of faith and love.
