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Love in the Time of Corona

By Mango
Every soul upon the restless sea, hold on
Every heart that yearns for what will be, hold on
Every creature groaning from the curse, peace
Every corner of this wild earth, peace
Lord come as the fire or come as the rain
O let there be life, life here again
-"Wild Earth" by Young Oceans
Four weeks of social distancing, and this is the first time I'm sitting down to write. It's a little nerve-wracking, honestly -- who knows what my heart and mind will unearth after four weeks of talking to screens and walls?

We are all finding ourselves in new ways: taking longer walks, spending more time with our homes & families, cooking, resting, and binge-watching strange TV shows we would have never considered pre-COVID.

Yesterday was the first day the gravity of this season fully hit me. I've been privileged to avoid many of the physical inconveniences these circumstances have brought on to others, and generally, have "leaned in" to the additional time to explore hobbies, read, and stay home. I've been thankful for our home, for a job that allows me to work from home, and for the resources to get groceries delivered and video chat with loved ones from afar.

So I don't have a clear personal understanding of why yesterday the air felt thicker, and my heart felt too heavy for my body to carry. 

All I can point to is the collective trembling of the world; the mass anxiety simmering within us; the seemingly endless cycle of grief that story after story has brought; the fear that can shapeshift so quickly to anger; and the protectiveness of a fragile hope that seems to evade us one day and triumph the next.

My prayer this morning is the song "Wild Earth" by Young Oceans:

As we rise from our knees
Where soil and sky meet, peace
All those who receive
Every branch of this tree, peace
Lord come as the lion or come as the dove
Just let there be life, life from above.

I am reminded that our hope is not fragile. It runs deep and wide and everlasting. It is not afraid. It is already victorious. Our hope is in a God who is much, much greater than even a global pandemic. A God who told the sun to rise this morning and to set last night. A God who, even now, mourns with us and restores us.

Lord, help us to trust in You. Help us to see Your goodness at work. As we lament the overwhelming pain of this world, may our weariness point to Your strength. Help us to believe radically in the power of resurrection -- of rebirth, renewal, and new life. Only You, God, can provide for us in all the ways we need. Amen.
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Comments

  1. birchApril 15, 2020 at 8:04 AM

    beautiful, mango <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. oakApril 16, 2020 at 8:19 PM

    Thank you for this reminder and encouragement!

    ReplyDelete
  3. JacarandaApril 23, 2020 at 1:32 PM

    "We are all finding ourselves in new ways." Agreed, and I hope that this pandemic prompts us all to consider how we may have "lost" ourselves along the way.

    ReplyDelete

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