“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28
It’s hard to believe that we are almost to the middle of July, the mid-point of what we typically think of as the summer travel season. There is something about the intersection of COVID-19, and time that is such an odd juxtaposition. In the age of Corona, our traditional ways of thinking about time seem to have become skewed, veering off the usual course.
I imagine that most of you, in any other run-of-the-mill summer would already have plans, or be experiencing wonderful adventures past the confines of the North Texas heat, travels taking you beyond your wildest imaginations. And these adventures are important for so many reasons. First, they give us a much needed break from the usual, the routine, and the banality of life. There is something so important about the tantalizing gaze of forward-leaning hope that impending journeys bring! Whether you travel with friends and loved ones, or alone, journeys almost always involve some sort of enhancement of relationships, to self and to others. This sense of renewed relationship is critical. And having adventures gives us great perspective for the usual, the routine, and the banal that help us appreciate those things all the more. And we almost always have great stories to tell (and sermons to preach!). In short, holidays are opportunities for God’s revelation!
Unfortunately, in the world of COVID-19, the complexities of travel become so much more complicated. What can you do safely? Where can you go? Who can you see? It’s enough to tempt us away from trying!
I have had that same temptation myself. Oh how much easier it would be to simply stay home, to not take that much needed break, to continue on in the routine (rut) of daily existence.
I urge all of us not to do that! If ever we (I) needed that break, it is now. As I have said before, this pandemic is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but beyond an Iron Man triathlon. There is no way we can shore up our strength for this race without all those things (see above) that the joys of holiday bring. We need the hope of God’s revelation made clear in that journey, so that we can be bolstered for the race that we continue to run. And so, I encourage you and me alike, to find safe ways to experience the blessing of down time that holiday promises, even if that means adventuring in place.
Our “Spring Season” programming comes to a close this week with the end of the Doubters’ Happy Hour and the Basics of the Faith class. They have been wonderful opportunities for us to catch glimpses of the listening God. It’s now time to consider what we’ve heard, and seen, and witnessed over the last six months, so we can come back refreshed, renewed, and ready to journey forward in hope as the Doubters of Great Faith that we are!
Yours in faith,
Fr. Christopher+
