Love During A Pandemic

Last updated on: July 27, 2020 at 10:25 am by C. Don Jones

Love During A Pandemic 2020-07-27T10:25:31-06:00 C. Don Jones

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Our timing is really off this time. I proposed to my now fiancee just as word about a flu-like virus was ravaging Wuhan in China. It was just a few weeks later everything started getting serious in the States. And then the shut down. It was a bad time for this to happen. There were so many events to look forward to. We had Holy Week, Easter, Earth Day, Graduations, and the Annual Conference had appointment week. The United Methodist Church postponed it’s General Conference. And we decided to plan a wedding. Really, it is nothing unusual. There is never a good time that is completely free of distraction. But there are always good times for love.

Jesus Was Crucified At An Inconvenient Time.

The Gospel of John gives us an intriguing idea. Problems needs solutions. But there are such inconvenient times to solve them. “Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed.” (19:31) I know the verse is a reason given so that the writer can claim it was fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus’ bones not be broken. But it is interesting that there is an urgency involved in making sure a form of holiness is preserved even if cruelty must be involved.

Funerals always come at inconvenient times. It may be what makes them tragedies. A young woman once came to her pastor to ask that the Easter service include prayers for some of her schoolmates who were killed in a terrible accident over the weekend. The pastor refused saying it would distract from the message and what the congregation wanted to experience.

Not Now!

The truth is that we never know what the future will bring. Despite all the plans we can make there are things beyond our control. It will rain on the planned outdoor activity. A non-fatal accident at home will annoy us and keep us out of the event. A sudden illness will happen during Christmas. We may scream to the heavens. We might curse our luck. Whatever happens, we have to learn to accept it.

Annoyances will occur. But some things will take precedence over our plans. Our wedding may not happen just as we hope it will. One of us is waiting the results from a COVID-19 test at this writing. It’s an inconvenient time. If need be our health will take precedence over our plan.

It is easy to whine, “not now!” It is a sign of sober thinking to try to be serene any way.

Love Prevails

The pastor who didn’t want to interrupt Easter by reflecting soberly over something the congregation knew happened shows how unloving our holy day practices are. Another pastor embarrassed a friend of mine who did not stand to be acknowledged on Father’s Day. Why didn’t he stand? He had fathered children who were all miscarried. My friend did not think that was the point of honoring fathers on that day. Technically, he was a father. But he never raised the children.

Trying times test our resolve. What has this pandemic been but a time where we could demonstrate love, charity, and kindness to others? Refusing to act in love gives the lie to all of our celebrations, observances, and declarations of love. The point of worship, prayer, teaching, and preaching during “good times” is to prepare us for the hard times and difficult decisions to be made.

We are going ahead with the wedding. The invitations are in the mail. Other preparations are being made. And everything else is happening too. How we respond will tell more about our resolve than vows, rings, venues, and flowers. It is the same for the church. How we respond tells more than our good intentions can cover.

Biblical Interpretation

Community

Devotional

Love as action

Previous Post

July 23, 2020

The Church of Saints Bait And Switch

Next Post

July 31, 2020 Why I Am A Progressive Christian (Part 1)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Afghanistan Anxiety Ascension Sunday Baptism Barack Obama Biblical Interpretation Bigotry Book Banning BSA Buddhism Choice Christmas Church Discipline Community Conscience Conspiracy theories COVID-19 Culture Wars death cults deconstruction Devotional Divine Judgment Donald Trump Earth Day Election Day empathy Environmentalism Evangelism Exploitation of the Poor Faith False Claims fascism Fear Forgiveness Genocide government Grace Gun Violence Halloween Hate Health Hillbilly Elegy Hindu Holy Communion Holy Week Homelessness Hope Identity Integrity Islam Joe Biden John Hagee Kamala Harris Labor Lent Liberation Theology Lies Love Love as action Neurological disorders Non-Christian Religions Online Worship Original Goodness Pandemic Peace Pentecost Philosophy Preaching Progressive Christianity Racism Redemptive Violence Myth Resentment Saint's Days Satire Sobriety social media Spiritual Self Care Spirituality Technology The Kingdom of God The United Methodist Church Theology Transfigurations Sunday Transgender persons Truth Uncategorized Violence Wesleyan Working Class

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 March 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 October 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 February 2018 January 2018 August 2017 May 2017 November 2016 July 2016 June 2016 November 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 November 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 March 2013 February 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 February 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

There is a season for everything under heaven—a time to be born and a time to do what?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rest Die Sing Live