When does the pulse of a city simply give up? As the lockdown horizon for Greater Sydney stretches yet further, into the distance, so the pervasive and unwelcome gloom becomes more threatening. We grow increasingly accustomed to emptiness.
How are you coping?
Are you fumbling for the light switch?
Distractions and diversions have brought a measure of survival thus far, but what if we find ourselves still locked down in September?
A return to first principles
Depression, loneliness and other mental health issues are very real impacts of this time. More than ever we need each other, and to be honest enough to reach out and talk about what we’re feeling.
Engaging with a community is vital to mental health. Engaging with a faith community even more so. Being open to accessing resources and tools from health professionals is also important.
The critical thing is to actually engage.
Not isolate.
You are not alone if you are struggling to find the upside right now. In times like these, it can be helpful to be reminded of some of the bedrock principles of our faith.
Here’s hoping this recharges your perspective at this time.
Community means living a shared life
It’s a no brainer to say that Covid-19 has made living as a faith community more difficult.
However for as long as you can talk, pray and drink coffee, you can still listen, care and contribute.
And be listened to, cared for, and be contributed to.
If you have a device, then you are totally free to give and receive whilst still honouring the stay at home orders.
Go ahead!
We still belong to one-another and the grace for agape love still flows from our Christ life within.
Mutuality is what defines a healthy community.
- loving and being loved
- serving and being served
- pray and be prayed for
- listening and being listened to
- encouraging and being encouraged
Emptiness always comes before fulness
As our memories of pre-Covid normal stealthily dull, we grow increasingly accustomed to living with emptiness.
Empty streets and empty trains. Empty cafes and shops. Empty construction sites & commercial buildings.
However Creator God has always used emptiness as a necessary beginning for filling.
The earth was without form, and empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep
Genesis 1:2 AMP
The Hebrew word tohu is the basis for our English word word empty and can also be translated like this:
A formless, chaotic mess, a waste, a worthless thing, emptiness and desolation, for no purpose, for nothing
Strong’s Concordance #8414
If that doesn’t speak to these times I don’t know what does!
Present and continuous filling
Study scripture and you will find that filling is always pre-empted by emptiness. And yesterdays filling is always followed by today’s re-filling.
And don’t get drunk with wine, which is rebellion; instead be filled with the fulness of the Holy Spirit. And your hearts will overflow with a joyful song to the Lord Jehovah. Keep speaking to each other words of scripture, singing the Psalms with praises and spontaneous songs given by the Spirit!
Ephesians 5:18 TPT
Notice the correlation between filling and continuing in keeping on being a faith community!
This is a time to continue being who we are. The people of God. The people who are mandated to bring the Fulness of the Godhead bodily to our VERY needy world.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church. which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:22,23 NKJV
Praise God for sending His Son Jesus to be our salvation and our supply of fulness that ministers even now to our emptiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. We exalt You Jesus as the head of the Church and receive of your fulness again to bring that fulness to our needy world.
AMEN
