Dear Friends in Christ,
We are getting closer to the eye of the storm, I believe. Do you remember that movie “The Perfect Storm” with George Clooney? Well, the waves are getting bigger and we are nearing the point when they may crash in on us even more. If you follow the news, you know that the U.S. now has the world’s largest number of corona cases. The metaphor that I use is very fitting: we are all in the same boat together as the waves move in.
Our world was so different 20 days ago, it would have been hard to imagine the world that we inhabit today. Our daily lives are so different. Then, we would have worried that anyone washing and sanitizing their hands 20 times a day had a compulsive disorder. Now we wonder if they have washed enough. Ten days ago, a person who was socially distancing would have been considered rude. Now they are considered thoughtful and considerate. Then the thought of staying home from work sounded like a treat. Now cabin fever is running rampant.
There is no doubt that the pandemic that we are living through has changed us and is changing the world we live in. But in some ways, it is also revealing the things that never change.
We are seeing clearly Luther’s theology that says we are all saints and sinners. A rush on toilet paper is met by a volunteer handing out toilet paper rolls to strangers on the street. While some college students partied on the beach in Florida for spring break, others created a network of volunteers to shop for the quarantined and self-isolated across the country.
While some politicians in Washington apparently used insider information to cheat the market and keep hold of their wealth, others are giving generously to support the vulnerable, the unemployed, small business owners, the homeless, and many, many others in need.
Human beings are made in the image of God and have feet of clay. We have the capacity to show great selfishness and tremendous compassion. Yet we are also sinners, there is no doubt as Luther would say, but God does not condemn us to live in a world of sin. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
By God’s grace we are called into a new way of life, a forgiven and forgiving way of being, as we become heirs of God’s kingdom and servants to one another for God’s sake. We are seeing that the best place to stand in the storms of life, especially this one, is on the rock of Jesus Christ, our firm foundation.
I pray that your faith is giving you access through prayer to God’s grace and love, and that you remember that you are blessed to be a blessing to someone else in need.
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
P.S. I hope and pray that you will watch our virtual worship on Sunday at 10 AM on the Saints United Facebook page (facebook.com/SaintsUnitedPhiladelphia) and invite someone else to watch as well. Remember we will be doing Communion at the service, so have some bread and wine (or juice) available.
