Sacred Connections: To be continued. . .
This wonder of warmer weather paired with sunny skies has been a balm for the soul. It’s as if the pall of grey winter days may be lifting, and there is a glimpse, a reminder that spring will come eventually. Those of us who have weathered many a Cincinnati winter know full well this may be a very temporary period of grace. Temperatures will dip, gray skies will reappear, there’s still a month of winter to go, yet we know we are moving forward to longer, lighter days.
It was in the context of this warmer weather that my loyal garage dinner gathering group met again this past Wednesday. We’d had to forgo meetings for almost two months due to the icy cold temperatures and wet chilling days. So much had happened in the intervening weeks, a riot at the Capitol, an inauguration, the availability of vaccinations, and surpassing 500,000 deaths from COVID-19. So many conversations had been missed during that time.
The six of us had gathered in the driveway or open garage to share a carryout dinner almost weekly throughout the summer, fall, and even the earliest days of winter. For most of us, it was our only casual social interaction during this time of distancing. How we treasured these opportunities to be together!
So, re-gathering this week, with the hope of warmer days ahead, was a time of great pleasure and catching up. At the end of the evening, people took the tables they had been leaving behind, because we wouldn’t need them anymore. And silently, I am shouting “What?!” “What do you mean?” In that moment, I was encountering my newest form of denial and resistance. Things continue to change.
Our garage gathering group is very fortunate, being of an age to be eligible to receive vaccinations, and to have found our various ways to different sites, and now having received our second ones. We know that even after weeks following our vaccinations we’ll still be in facemasks and needing to maintain physical distancing for quite some time ahead. Yet there is an invitation to recalibrate a bit our individual decisions regarding risk tolerance. What was clear in that garage moment, is that for some, options seem to be expanding, and in that context, shivering in a garage may no longer have a place. I was caught by surprise by the deep sense of loss I felt, realizing how much these simple gatherings have meant to me, and the deeper connections we have formed through shared adversity and our desire to be present with each other. I hope these connections will continue, at least in some way.
This year of pandemic has been a continuing year of call for flexibility, creativity, trying new ways to be together and still remain safe. We’ve all been exploring new options, new approaches in so many aspects of our lives, and surely will keep doing so, as our journey continues. What gifts have we discovered that have helped us through this time? What gifts might we want to hold onto, regardless of the anticipated transitions ahead?
This week, I found myself cherishing even more the sense of beloved community uncovered in adversity and held even more preciously. Phil wrote earlier this week about how deeply touched so many of us were by the outpouring of love and appreciation at the annual meeting. Seeing your beloved faces and hearing your words and the feelings behind them deeply touched our hearts. We have all been finding our way together, and it has been hard at times, it has been a delight at times, and always a path of love.
As we continue to transition through the days and months ahead, still being guided by much beyond our control, may we look closely at the discoveries we have made, the gifts we have received, the people we have gotten to know in new and deeper ways. May we treasure the unexpected gifts of this time and express our gratitude to each other for what we are able to share. Let us carry forth that deeper awareness of how much we love each other and cherish our time together. Be it winter, be it spring or any of the seasons to come, let us continue to walk together, always in Christ’s love.
