We Are Not Alone

Scripture

Psalm 121

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
³     he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
    for his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
    I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff—
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.    (NRSV)

 Devotion

Loneliness.   It is powerful.  It is pervasive.  It is real.  You can see it on people's faces as streets get a little emptier, organizations suspend their operations, and self-quarantine images flood social media.   Temporarily moving our worship services to an online format is the right thing to do, but I still feel a rush of sadness whenever I step into our sanctuary and remember that the pews in front of me will be empty for a while.

My loneliness is nothing in comparison to how others feel right now.  Those who live paycheck to paycheck feel alone as they go into self-quarantine or their employers temporarily close.  People of Asian descent feel alone when people go out of their way to avoid them.  Those who fear they may have COVID-19 feel alone when they can't find a place to be tested.  Parents feel alone when they go to the grocery store only to find aisles full of empty shelves.  The people stocking the shelves feel alone each time someone yells at them to just go into the back and check one more time for some bread.  Officials and leaders of all sorts feel alone as they educate themselves and make good but hard decisions that many people won't like.  Loneliness abounds.

In times such as this, it is easy to assume that we have been left to fend for ourselves.  That is why I'm grateful for Psalm 23.  One of the things that makes this psalm so powerful is its insistence that we are never alone.  God is always there.  When everything seems to be green and flourishing and life is calm, it is our Creator who has brought us to that good place.  When we are tempted by self-interest, the Holy One leads us to do what is right.  When life is at its worst and we are full of despair, our Comforter is there to console and encourage us.  When it seems that we are surrounded by those who wish us harm, our LORD welcomes us to the table and marks us as those who are beloved.  God's goodness and mercy are always with us.  It may be hard to see, but God is there.

Several years ago, I went through a time when everything seemed to be falling apart.  Logically, I knew that God had to be there, but I felt completely alone.  When I told a friend this, she responded by saying "God knows that you need time to process your hurt and anger if you are ever going to truly heal.  You may not feel God's presence now, but there will come a day when you look back and see how God was with you during this dark night of the soul."  

I will always be amazed by my friend's spiritual wisdom.  When I look back today, I can see that God's Spirit was holding me.  That Spirit was made physically manifest in the friends who baked cookies, the loved ones who listened as I sobbed, the professionals who offered me guidance, the pastor who said that it was okay to feel hurt and angry, and the church members who hugged me. For six months, God showed me what it means to both accept and offer help in times of need.  I couldn't see it at the time, but it was when I felt the most alone that God showed in ways both big and small.  I have faith that God continues to abide with me today.  
   
During this time of social distancing, let us take steps to reach out and remind ourselves and others that we are not alone.  Here are just a few examples of what we can do:

• Share a kind word with that frazzled cashier, school district employee, or service provider.   
• If you are able to be out in public, volunteer to help a group that is supporting the hungry and the vulnerable.
• Give back to the people who are putting themselves at risk in order to care for others.  Here in Wadesboro,  The Speckled Paw is collecting items to make care packages for nurses.
• Call or set up a video chat with people that you know but may not be seeing right now.  We don't have to have any perfect answers to anything.  We just need to ask how each other are doing, listen, and share our own feelings. 
• Use social media to reach out to others.  One of the best parts of my day yesterday was when a friend under quarantine got on Facebook Live and sang karaoke for half an hour.  I hope that those of us who commented on the joy she brought us made her day a little better in return.
• Take special time to check in with huggers and extroverts.  The social distancing practices that are vital to protecting people's physical health are hard on these folks' mental and emotional well-being.  They could use some extra support.
• Give parents a break by entertaining their children for a while.  I know a guy who is doing this through videochat.
• Wash your hands.   
• Pray.  Always pray.

 Take heart, Beloved, for the Holy One is here in the midst of the world's loneliness.  We have been given the opportunity to reflect God's presence for others to see.  Let us give and receive the help that is needed so that one day, we will look back and see the many ways that God is with us. 

 Prayer

 Today's prayer is a sung version of Psalm 23.  May you find it as uplifting as I do.