Quarantine 2020

Faith matters. That sentence is both as simple and as complex as I can get this month. It hit me like a ton of bricks as I was pondering the reality of Easter and why, year after year, we tell the story of Jesus, proclaim the new life found in resurrection on a daily basis, and attempt to make sense of the events of life that seem so senseless. We do this because faith matters.

So, yes, the pollinator box started me off on a theological musing about how faith is sometimes right in front of us and sometimes not. And like the pollinators, faith needs a place to call home, a few things to assist in the building process, and the right place to do its work. Weird, but this Palm Sunday, I was ok with weird.

Throughout our retelling of the story of Palm Sunday and Holy Week, a question continues to emerge. From different perspectives, different characters, all ask the question about Jesus, “Who is he?” It is a question we still wrestle with today, thousands of years later. In the retelling of the story shared in this email, many possible answers emerge. During this Holy Week, I invite you to wander with that question: “Who is Jesus?” “Who is Jesus to me?” “Who is Jesus to my neighbor?”

I wore out my last pair of slippers, so I just bought these new ones. I’ll be honest: I bought the cheapest ones that were available in the brand that I need to wear to help my foot issue from about a year ago. And then, just for fun, I looked up the meaning of the panda bear as a spirit animal. I mean, yes, this was a clearance purchase, but maybe, just maybe, there was a message?

Wherever we stand is holy ground. It is that simple. Wherever we stand, wherever our feet trod, wherever we find ourselves travelling, it is holy ground. This Lenten Wilderness, Spring 2020, the season of COVID-19 – all are holy ground. I have to remind myself of this over and over again when fear threatens to overwhelm me.  During this quarantined time, my feet have not been able to go to their usual places. I miss those places, and yet, I am learning that there is goodness in being just where I am.