Pentecost came early for me this year. As I watched the empty streets in my urban neighborhood, I felt a sudden shift from loss to gratitude — for the common purpose that empty streets signify right now.
I had been annoyed by the inconvenience of staying home, of avoiding others and not being able to meet friends in person. As the weeks turned into months, and more people filed for unemployment, I resented all the restrictions, even though I dutifully wore my mask and went to the grocery store at six in the morning to avoid other shoppers. I grieved the death of a healthy close friend from the coronavirus, and followed the rules, but my heart wasn’t in it.
Then, one day last week, a flaming red peony brought me up short — so bold and luscious, right out there in public, on the edge of a church lawn. I just stood and stared at it, while something shifted inside. Beyond that burning bush, the empty street became a sign of love, of respect and hope.
On my way home, I stopped at the empty church to pick up the mail. It’s sparkling clean, because we’ve continued to pay the cleaning crew and they’ve done the extra things they don’t normally include. Another sign, I thought.
Our church is small. There’s not much room for social distancing. It will be a long time, I suspect, before we can meet for worship there. But meanwhile, we’ve been holding worship via Zoom. A different person speaks from home each week, and we start with a gathering time for personal sharing and announcements. Mission groups have reached out to those who don’t have a smaller group to meet with, and our Servant Leadership Team keeps an eye on more vulnerable members. We’ve made sure that everyone has a phone or computer so they can stay connected. It feels to me like the Spirit’s moving across lines of gender, age and status, just as it did on Pentecost.*
Are we making such a racket that crowds are forming outside? Do we sound like drunkards at nine in the morning? No, that’s not the story we have to tell. But we do have visitors Zooming in from far away. Former members have reconnected online, and when they hear the sound of the Spirit in language that makes sense to them, they come again. The Spirit is still at work.
- What practice might deepen your inner journey now?
- How can you help your communities stay connected?
- What do you need to release in order to embrace a new way?
–Marjory Zoet Bankson, Seekers Church
Editor’s note: Beginning today, the InwardOutward gospel reflection will be sent on Saturday instead of Sunday.
