Sacred Connections: We Need Each Other
As my nine-year-old granddaughter, Elia, and I were visiting on FaceTime earlier this week, I heard myself actually saying aloud, “If only SweetP (my dachshund/lab mix dog) could drive.” Was it really the grandma and not the grandchild who said that? And there was a part of me that meant it!
Some of us hold so tightly to our independence, that it is very hard to ask for help. And it may seem even more difficult during this time of the corona virus and our different levels of comfort being out of our homes, even masked and distanced. But I was having some very minor medical tests and procedures that required me to have someone else drive me, and SweetP and I are the only two living creatures sheltering together in our home. People are so generous, I knew there would be no difficulty in finding help, the difficulty was in my voicing the need for help. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to those who responded so readily.
During these times especially, we can find ourselves challenged on all sides of this situation. Some of us are wondering, “How can I help?” Some are concerned, “Where can I find help?” And some of us are resisting, “How can I figure this out, so I don’t need to ask for help?” These roles may easily reverse from day to day, and situation to situation. There are times when we can see very transparently that we need each other. The reality is we always do.
I love the quote from Fred Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” There are a lot of scary things in the news these days, and a lot of people coming together to help.
We see the grim statistics on the latest tolls of the coronavirus, and we see live streams of healthcare workers inside hospitals, moving as if parts of one whole, committed to save the lives entrusted to them. We see people wearing masks, to protect others and themselves, and people respecting and protecting each other’s space.
We see live startling footage of brutality and violence, and we see people bravely bearing witness. We see people walking along side each other in masked peaceful protest against racism and injustice. We see people speaking out and reaching out to keep others out of harm’s way.
We hear the concerns and see the impact of climate change, and then we also hear the voices of those who will not be silenced, speaking for future generations who do not yet have a voice. We see these huge scary things, and many more, and each time we see helpers too.
These challenging times give us such a profound lens to witness the interconnectedness of all God’s creation literally around the globe. All of the challenges confronting us need for us to come together, vision together, and work together to help. We might deeply value independence, and yet we need each other to subdue a pandemic, preserve and respect the rights of all God’s children, and protect creation for the generations to come.
This day, in our own lives, maybe we’re just trying to figure out how to manage the hours ahead of us. Maybe we’re simply wanting to offer help, find help, or be willing to receive help. In our relationships, our church, our communities, we need each other too. May we let this need be a blessed and ever-present reminder of our call to love God and our neighbors as ourselves.
