Signs of Hope

Wow! What a huge change in our lifestyle in such a short time! In the recent Chinook Winds Regional zoom meetings, and in conversations in my own church and others, I have heard many concerns about the stress and anxiety being felt by some. Certainly the constant news reports of so many persons ill or dying from the covid virus are concerning to all.

And the stress of not having a job, or having to work from home, or having a far more hectic work load now, nearly everyone is experiencing. No school, no sports, no social contact, no church, cancelled vacations and special celebrations are creating turmoil in our lives. Seniors lost retirement finances, and substantial business losses are devastating. And I hear the church leadership and ministerial staff concerns about challenges maintaining programs and contact with parishioners, and the uncertainty of church finances.

But I am a “glass half full” person and while recognizing all the downside of this pandemic, I see some Blessings for our community. One of the biggest and most evident blessings is how much and how often people are helping people. There are so many reaching out to others in humanitarian concern as “we are all in this together”. It has been a levelling of social strata. A gentler more compassionate society is emerging. So many people have made those phone calls, Facebook, or emails that we previously did not think we had time for. As a community of faith we suddenly have to think about why we are here and prioritize what we do with limited time and resources. We are having to adopt modern technology to continue the important programs and services we offer. And in doing so we are finding new ministries and new ways of conducting our legacy ministries. We have had opportunity to re-evaluate what is really important on our spiritual journey. This covid lock down will not last forever. And when we move to a new era, I am filled with hope that the lessons we are learning will carry on. It has been said “God works in mysterious ways”.