In my earliest days confined to my home during the coronavirus outbreak, my uneasiness only escalated during endless searches for coronavirus news updates. Like my fellow Christians, social distancing and necessary regionwide church closures meant I could not quiet my internal tumult by sitting in a familiar church pew and listening to wise religious counsel.
Comfort arrived when I took it upon myself to delve more deeply into the familiar lessons of my Christian faith. Focusing on Biblical and spiritual texts has left me invigorated by the belief that practicing and nonpracticing Christians alike can help one another draw closer to our maker as we navigate the unknown.
Struggling with stillness
Modern life is marked by perpetual motion as we multitask and fill up blocks of time with endless to-do lists and extracurricular activities. As the coronavirus forces nonessential activities to a halt, increasing numbers of people are spending their time in isolation, faced with a new reality of stillness and solitude.
In my own busy life, I have often longed for this kind of break in the madness. Finally faced with such a pause, I find idleness intensely uncomfortable as uncontrollable and scary events unfold around me. Here, the Bible provided an important answer in Psalm 46, verses 1 and 10: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. … He says ‘Be still and know that I am God.’”
Allowing myself to be consumed by thoughts of the future has only fed my fear and anxiety. Now, when I feel unsettled, I focus on renewing my unshakable trust in God and relinquishing my need for constant activity as I embrace the blessing of having time to make memories with my family while we stay home to minimize the spread of this deadly virus.
Pray for the helpers
Not everyone has been called to stillness during the coronavirus outbreak. The country has been blessed with a multitude of people working all hours to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As during previous periods of tragedy and terror, I am filled with gratitude for the presence of “such helpers in the world, who rush to save anyone who cries out…[and] can’t be bought off,” in the words of the poet Rumi.
Today, those helpers include the grocery store employees, truck drivers, and other personnel keeping our daily needs met, the first responders and members of the National Guard performing vital services and maintaining public peace, the citizens caring for their high-risk loved ones and strangers, the public servants working to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and the healthcare personnel saving lives while putting themselves at risk.
During the early days of the outbreak, an Instagram post citing Philippians 4:6 reminded me of what I could be doing with my worries as I sat in my home. “Do not be anxious about anything,” the verse compels, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Now, when I find myself overcome, I pray for the vital contributions of those helpers fighting against the spread of this disease, and for the health and safety of my family and people around the world in coronavirus-ridden countries.
For those who do not regularly pray, the practice is simple. You can do it aloud, in your head, on paper, or on the computer, while sitting, standing, kneeling, or lying in bed. You can pray while enjoying the outdoors, washing your hands, cleaning the house, or watching commercials. There are no limits on the practice or its efficacy, so long as you are directing your thanks, praise, or requests to God.
Calling all sinners
I freely admit I am not a perfect Christian. Time and time again, I fall short of my expectations for myself. The stresses and strains associated with this frightening pandemic have occasionally brought out my worst traits, causing me to question my worthiness.
The other night, I came across an important passage from the New Testament, in which Jesus explained: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13).
The message is vital. Jesus seeks a relationship with all, in spite of our weaknesses or our religious status. There is no obstacle or moral shortcoming that should keep us from drawing closer to Jesus and God. This is particularly true during trying times, when our faith and our limits are likely to be tested.
Equally important is Jesus’s reminder to practice the attitude of mercy demonstrated toward sinners such as myself. Particularly in the coming months, we will be called to show mercy for those in public and private life who have made deadly errors due to imperfect knowledge of an evolving situation.
I am grateful to have a faith home where mercy abounds and my perfection is neither assumed nor required. In his homilies, my priest often reminds his flock that we are all merely beggars, trying to help one another find the feast, or the ultimate union with God and Jesus in heaven. At this difficult and uneasy juncture, lessons such as these are a buoy and a reminder that everyone from the staunchest Christians to the searchers and skeptics can gain comfort in growing closer to God and in helping others do the same.
Beth Bailey (@BWBailey85) is a freelance writer from the Detroit area.
