All People

The word pandemic’s origin is Greek — pandemos: meaning pan — all, demos — people. We know it today as a disease that affects all people, the global community. So here we are, mid-July of 2020 and the pandemic continues. Naturally, because we are a national that is completely polarized, there are so many people with many opinions and theories; to top it all off, you have the media stirring up extremes on both the right and left. Needless to say, people’s anxiety and tension levels are high. People have even gotten into fights resulting in death over wearing or not wearing face masks. There is confusion, anger, rebellion, and denial. How does one live above this fray? How do you stay at peace in days like these?

Let me tell you… it is not easy. At all. I deal with food sensitivity and digestive issues every day. Most days I wake up sick. By afternoon I am usually feeling great (especially when I am outside working in fresh air), but nights and mornings are rough. Stress and anxiety are definitely triggers when you struggle with digestive problems. The past five or so months have been a struggle to maintain a sense of peace, of steadiness, of calm and control. I pray often throughout the day. Spending time in reflection, meditation and breathing is important. Watching the news and scrolling social media can certainly cause me to get off track in the peace department, you know? Because there is so much uncertainty; so much about this I am unable to control, to plan for. Which is the case for all of us, to be honest. That’s why people’s nerves are frayed and anger erupts. It’s often not the situation in the moment, but the collective feeling that there is nothing you can do about any of it. I feel like there is a swirl of negativity that has permeated our nation. There’s misinformation and disinformation perpetuated, furthering distrust and fear-mongering. And being inundated with that daily can certainly wear you down.

Where is the church / followers of Christ in the midst of all this? Sadly, some have fallen into regurgitating insane conspiracy theories and spouting off wild speculations and opinions. Others rebel against the state or national guidelines, citing their “God-given religious freedoms” as if wearing a mask, for example, somehow infringes on their freedom. This is a bad testimony to the cause of Christ. After all, it was Jesus who suggested a response that was counter to a normal reaction — love your enemy. What?! He goes further… Carry his backpack another mile. Give him your shirt too. In all of this, many have forgotten the simple message that most of us learned as kids — treat others how you’d want to be treated. We get so wrapped up in our own little worlds and lose sense of society; of community. Society, after all, is the whole of people. And community is that feeling of fellowship with others — specifically those with whom we share common interests, goals, and values. So as a church, the hope would be that as we follow Christ and model his teachings, people would see kindness. They would see caring. They would see respect rather than rebelling over foolish things like wearing a mask (I use that example because that is such an easy thing to pick on.) They would see blessing, hope, and joy in the midst of all the struggle. Above all, they would see the love of Christ shining out — through our words, actions, and even social media posts. They would see the followers of Christ being true community, on a global level… because this affects all of us. Pandemos. All people.

As I was sitting here typing, the team in IHOP-KC was singing these words:
If you’re tempted to be anxious or worried, do not fret. 
I don’t have a reason to worry, to fear, to doubt, to freak out
Christ is my confidence. 
I have my eyes off the here and now.
Lifting them up to the maker of heaven
And I count it all joy, because I know you are good.

And that is what it all comes back to — simple faith in something, in someONE bigger than me, bigger than this virus. When I can get to a place where this “momentary light affliction” actually creates joy in me; causes me to experience the Divine; refines me; and I come forth more pure, more kind, more hopeful, more loving, and one who brings peace … maybe that’s the greater weight of glory that Saint Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians 4. So I press … Onward. Forward. Upward.