You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. Psalm 88:8
As I read Psalm 88, it seems to address in varying degrees our current situation. Due to the current pandemic, the world is more limited and isolated than usual. Not only that, but there seems to be a sense of mutual loathing between those with compromised health and those who are relatively healthy. The former fear that some do not take the guidelines seriously enough and may further compromise their fragile world while the latter may not appreciate the just how fragile some of our health situations are and deem those concerned as overly cautious. Admittedly, having been tested this week for Covid-19 following a rough respiratory infection, I’m somewhere in the middle of the scenario. I want us to be safe, but don’t want people cruelly criticizing others without knowing their stories…there are those who have legitimate reasons to be out and about. No matter what perspective one takes, we are for the most part, “shut up and cannot go out”.
Certainly, we all enjoy our freedom and COVID-19 has definitely reined that in by limiting our activities and socialization. However, for many of us, our world hasn’t changed much. For those of us struggling with chronic illness to the extent that we have had to give up our careers along with many of the activities that we love, the current restrictions don’t change our daily lives much; but for many others, this is a difficult time to endure. As the infirmed and the healthy come together in like circumstances during this time, my prayer has been and will remain for greater understanding, appreciation, and grace.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. Romans 12:10
Several years ago, my friend Linda commented that she did not fully appreciate the struggles that eating created for me until she went through chemo treatments that caused her to have similar issues with food. Likewise, I hope that the current conditions help those who are healthy have some greater understanding of what it is like having you life restricted against your will. Despite appearances, it’s not a choice. While the healthy are currently limited by government mandates, the ill are limited by physical ability, energy levels (we must expend it wisely to live well), risks of illness or chemical exposure, medical treatments, etc. However, despite our limitations, there is an opportunity for the infirmed to shine and find value. Scripture teaches us to comfort others with the comfort that we have received. Consequently, ours is to provide understanding for those newly limited. We should remember what it was like when we first found ourselves restrained and provide the grace that we desired during our adjustments to a new normal. Hopefully, we have developed coping skills that we can share with others who are healthy as they find the limitations burdensome. Finally, we can remind them to dwell on the things that they can be grateful for rather than the risk of disease, political frustration, lack of supplies, etc. By extending ourselves to a greater level of understanding and recognizing the common ground, we can show our devotion to each other and build stronger relationships.
For all of us, there is another call for understanding. Because most of us are removed from the struggle, we easily forget the persecuted church. While we cannot fully appreciate what it is like, we can recognize that their struggle not only limits their freedom and ability to worship together, but also puts their lives at risk in ways that most of us cannot comprehend. May we all use our current limitations as a means of greater understanding for those who serve their God despite the threat of imprisonment, loss of property, or death and employ it as a call to prayer for those who are persecuted.
While our activities and ability to come together may be limited, our capacity for understanding and opportunities to intercede for the infirmed and the persecuted church remain limitless.
Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Psalm 106:1
With limited access to people, supplies, and normal entertainment, it’s easy to become disgruntled. However, we are called to be content and thankful in all circumstances. That said, I pray that we will become more appreciative and grateful for what we do have. Further, when we return to normal activity, we should be more appreciative of the things that were taken away. By far the hardest thing for me is not being able to attend church as I find it more difficult to engage from our family room. I am grateful for those working hard to provide regular worship services via the internet, but I will be happy enjoy worshipping together again. However, this is not new for me. While I have always been aware of those who were “shut-ins”, I viewed them as those at the end of life and limited by the aging process. When I became of aware of the chronically ill who are regularly limited by a variety of factors, I became more appreciative of my ability to attend worship services regularly. For the ill, it’s easy to say I don’t feel well…I’ll go next time. For the healthy there other distractions such as vacations, sporting events, kids sports, etc. We should all work to maintain the spirit that David had when he said “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” This isn’t a call to ritual, habit, or legalism, but rather an encouragement to search the heart and live what we believe whether it is being thankful for all that we have been given or acting on a sincere desire to worship together as we are able.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
Over the past couple of weeks tensions have run high as people are concerned about health, supplies, income, social distancing, etc. As we interact with each other whether in person or electronically, we need to recognize that we will each respond differently to our circumstances as each of us is created differently, has had differently life experiences, exhibits different maturity levels, and has different life circumstances. We are called to be loving and forgiving, not only when things are going well, but especially when life is challenging. This is the time for Christians to lead by example. Rather than being critical of those whom we believe aren’t following the rules closely enough, we should focus on our own integrity and extend grace to those whose behavior we don’t understand. Anger accomplishes little other than alienation; love allows us to overlook the real or perceived infractions of others recognizing that we may not have all of the facts or that we may just need to let the matter go.
O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry! Psalm 88:1-2
On the one hand, Psalm 88 isn’t a terribly uplifting Psalm, yet it’s one that many of us can relate to as we face difficult times in our lives. Admittedly, I’ve been feeling a bit like this for a while. However, the hope comes from the first verse as it recognizes that God is our source of salvation in all ways possible and He desires that we humbly pour out our concerns before Him. May we all take the time to do this and allow God to work in our lives so that we endure this time of uncertainty with peace, hope, and grace. As we draw near to God, we must also allow Him to work in us to gain a greater understanding of and empathy for each other; be grateful for all that He has given us; and extend the grace given to us to those around us that we might be unified in serving our Lord and King.