So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:6-7)
Most of 2020 and the first half of 2021 has been an anxious and difficult time for the vast majority of the world’s population. Even in the reality of World War Two there were large areas minimally affected. This was less true for the past year-and-a-half. This has been a truly global pandemic; a new challenge for all of us together. It has deeply impacted individuals – I keep a list of friends and loved ones who died since the beginning of the pandemic, and I have lost 51 people I know and care about: 37 of them to COVID-19. In a time of isolation and separation, I have grieved, been angry, felt helpless, worried, and lamented. This has been a shared reality for so many people around the globe. We have had our patience, our tolerance, and our peace of mind tested and tried. And perhaps nothing was challenged more than our confidence.
So, we are always confident – for we walk by faith, not by sight. Really? What is the evidence that this is true? I must be careful. I have heard from a lot of people who were mad because they needed to wear masks, that they couldn’t worship in-person, that they couldn’t enjoy their fellowship. It is easy to believe that these criticisms and concerns are representative of the larger Christian communion, but it is important to realize that they are not.
What has gotten me through this pandemic time is the faithful and creative witness of laity and clergy leaders who did not allow the COVID -19 crisis to defeat them. They didn’t complain about masking because masking was a minimal way to take care of others, protecting their health and giving confidence that they were committed to safety and wellness. They didn’t complain that they couldn’t meet in-person for the same reasons; they created alternative ways to connect, to worship, to learn, and to lead. They didn’t despair, but they met with the anger, fear, illness, loss, and grief of others with compassion and grace, even when they couldn’t sit down face-to-face to offer comfort and strength. In a time of personal and financial insecurity and ambiguity, they continued to give – liberally – both to support their own community of faith as well as to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and at risk.
The other thing that has been so inspiring to me are those named essential workers who put themselves at risk to care for others. I didn’t hear complaining. I didn’t hear frustration. I didn’t hear hopelessness. What I heard was the language of champions: People need medical care, and I am here to help them. People need food and supplies delivered and I make sure they have what they need. People need the garbage cleared away, so I get up every morning to keep things clean and healthy. The children need to be taught, the mail needs to be delivered, the elderly need special care, on and on people committed themselves to building confidence that we would get through this pandemic time as strong as possible – and often they did it not because they saw the pandemic ending, but because they trusted it would – walking by faith rather than by sight.
Ultimately, walking by faith rather than sight is simply doing the right thing for all the right reasons to the honor and glory of God. We are emerging from the global pandemic – some more quickly than others – because people stepped up to do everything in their power to care for others. We masked for the good of others, we distanced for the good of others, we made personal sacrifices of worship and fellowship for the good of others. This is discipleship, this is stewardship, this is what it means to be Christian – to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and spirit, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Prayer: Lord, it is difficult to give thanks for the pandemic for it has done such great harm. But we have confidence that all things work together for good for those who love and follow you. Teach us the good that can come from even the darkest and most difficult times, and help us to offer our thanksgiving. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
6 Por eso mantenemos siempre la confianza, aunque sabemos que mientras vivamos en este cuerpo estaremos alejados del Señor. 7 Vivimos por fe, no por vista.
2 Corintios 5:6-7
La mayor parte de 2020 y la primera mitad de 2021 ha sido un momento difícil y de ansiedad para la gran mayoría de la población mundial. Incluso en la realidad de la Segunda Guerra Mundial hubo grandes áreas mínimamente afectadas. Esto fue menos cierto durante el último año y medio. Esta ha sido una pandemia verdaderamente mundial; un nuevo desafío para todos juntos. Ha impactado profundamente a las personas: mantengo una lista de amigos y seres queridos que murieron desde el comienzo de la pandemia, y he perdido a 51 personas que conozco y me preocupan: 37 de ellas por COVID-19. En una época de aislamiento y separación, he estado afligido, enojado, desamparado, preocupado y me he lamentado. Esta ha sido una realidad compartida por muchas personas en todo el mundo. Hemos probado y probado nuestra paciencia, nuestra tolerancia y nuestra tranquilidad. Y quizás nada fue más desafiado que nuestra confianza.
Entonces, siempre tenemos confianza, porque caminamos por fe, no por vista. ¿En serio? ¿Cuál es la evidencia de que esto es cierto? Debo tener cuidado. He escuchado de muchas personas que estaban enojadas porque necesitaban usar máscaras, que no podían adorar en persona, que no podían disfrutar de su compañerismo. Es fácil creer que estas críticas e inquietudes son representativas de la comunión cristiana más amplia, pero es importante darse cuenta de que no lo son.
Lo que me ha ayudado a superar este tiempo de pandemia es el testimonio fiel y creativo de los líderes laicos y del clero que no permitieron que la crisis de COVID -19 los derrotara. No se quejaron del enmascaramiento porque el enmascaramiento era una forma mínima de cuidar a los demás, proteger su salud y darles la confianza de que estaban comprometidos con la seguridad y el bienestar. No se quejaron de no poder reunirse en persona por las mismas razones; crearon formas alternativas de conectarse, adorar, aprender y liderar. No se desesperaron, pero se encontraron con la ira, el miedo, la enfermedad, la pérdida y el dolor de los demás con compasión y gracia, incluso cuando no podían sentarse cara a cara para ofrecer consuelo y fortaleza. En una época de inseguridad y ambigüedad personal y financiera, continuaron dando, generosamente, tanto para apoyar a su propia comunidad de fe como para satisfacer las necesidades de los más vulnerables y en riesgo.
Por fin, caminar por fe en lugar de la vista es simplemente hacer lo correcto por todas las razones correctas para la honra y la gloria de Dios. Estamos saliendo de la pandemia mundial, algunos más rápidamente que otros, porque las personas se esforzaron para hacer todo lo posible para cuidar de los demás. Nos enmascaramos por el bien de los demás, nos distanciamos por el bien de los demás, hicimos sacrificios personales de adoración y compañerismo por el bien de los demás. Esto es discipulado, esto es mayordomía, esto es lo que significa ser cristiano: amar a Dios con todo nuestro corazón, alma, fuerza y ??espíritu, y amar a nuestro prójimo como a nosotros mismos.
Oración: Señor, es difícil dar gracias por la pandemia porque ha hecho tanto daño. Pero tenemos la confianza de que todas las cosas funcionan juntas para bien para aquellos que te aman y te siguen. Enséñanos lo bueno que puede surgir incluso en los momentos más oscuros y difíciles, y ayúdanos a ofrecer nuestra acción de gracias. Te lo pedimos en el nombre de Jesús. Amén.
Traducido por el Rev. Luis Velasquez