Hope!

Greetings in the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Hallelujah, “He is risen!” Jesus is gone up on high! Burst the bars of death asunder; Angels shout, and men reply: He is risen, He is risen, Living now, no more to die.”[i]

Amid the devastating news about the toll COVID-19 is having on individuals, families, neighborhoods, states, our country, and the world, there is good news!  We are not overwhelmed by the havoc COVID-19 is wreaking around the globe because we know, “All things work together to the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to God’s purpose. “(Romans 8: 28). God’s great love for creation demonstrated by Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection gives us hope that, like other catastrophes the world has overcome, the coronavirus pandemic shall pass. We will return to some sense of normalcy.

Thank God for local and state elected officials, and healthcare professionals who have developed multiple strategies to save lives and to try and curtail the spread of coronavirus. The stay-at-home mandate issued by governors and mayors, coupled with the recommendation to keep at least six feet between people, have changed our behavior. While the temporary changes are uncomfortable and inconvenient for some, they also provide unexpected silver linings.

Cooperation and neighborliness are more evident than usual. Strangers at grocery stores and pharmacies wish each other well, and many offer to help the elderly without expecting anything in return. Getting proper rest and enough sleep are other unintended benefits of staying home and keeping distance between ourselves and others.

Social-distancing has also presented a unique way for us to show God’s love. In essence, by agreeing to adhere to social-distancing, we sacrifice our freedom of movement to protect the health and welfare of others.  That, my sisters and brothers, is a godly way to behave, and it exemplifies Jesus’ commandment for us to love one another.

Praise God for those who choose the welfare of people over profits and for people of goodwill!

Peace and blessings,

Pastor Allegra Hoots

 

“A new commandment I give to you that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”                                                                                                                    

[i] Bliss, Philip Paul, (1838 – 1876)  “Hallelujah, He is risen”