How many of us have suffered the deprivation of being without loved ones? How many of us feel crippled because we can’t see each other face-to-face, instead of mask-to-mask? How many of us yearn for the simple joy of a hug, a handshake, or sitting side by side? We do! We long to meet our newest grandson, George, who was born last July in Quebec. As all of us slowly let go of all these pandemic-induced agonies, let’s look at what we might embrace as goals, based in the Good News of Jesus, our Savior and our Emmanuel.
- Jesus has promised his abiding presence until the end of time. Choose an ongoing and deepening relationship, an intimate friendship, with Jesus and his Body, the Church. The dictionary definition of “abide” gives us hints about such a relationship. To abide means “to wait for, to accept, to endure with, to trust, and to remain with.”
- Choose Jesus as your source of strength for loving others. “Abide in Me, as I abide in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4. Loving God and neighbor are two sides of the same coin. And our new freedom to be together is meant to reflect the compassionate depth of God’s loving presence.
- Choose to be fully present to others in the most personal and fulfilling ways possible. Move toward letters and greeting cards over virtual messages, so that a significant person has something that reminds them of you. As restrictions on gatherings are lifted, use virtual encounters as mere placeholders in between visits. Offering an abiding presence also means choosing to visit in a regular, predictable way, if only every month or half year.
- When meeting face-to-face, put a priority on listening over speaking, like Jesus did during many conversations – with the rich young man, with Nicodemus, with his disciples on the way to Emmaus. Ephesians 3:17-19 encourages us to dwell in Christ, and to be rooted in love, rather than anxious about our own needs and any personal agendas during a conversation or visit.
- Imitate the beatitudes, especially visiting the sick and those in every kind of prison. This includes the heart-sick, the emotionally damaged, the lonely and those newly afflicted with PTSD and depression. Consider visits to elderly friends and extended family members, as well. Reach out to ‘sickened’ couples, families and households, not just individuals. All of these are important acts of mercy.
If we have learned nothing else during this pandemic, it is that humans are communal beings who thrive on mutual support and meaningful social gatherings. None of us exists in a vacuum. All of us are called to rebuild our families, faith communities and caring neighborhoods in the name of Jesus.