And before 2020, we would talk about love a lot, especially in church. I get to preach, and so I get to tell people to love each other. And as I do that, I can just imagine people sitting there, shoulder to shoulder, looking up at me, nodding their heads, thinking: “We all know this.” Love your neighbour. Nothing new here. We all knew it before COVID.
But then COVID happened, and all of a sudden, everything was shaken up. Businesses were shut down, and we weren’t allowed to gather with friends and family. We have to start wearing these masks. And everything just feels so different! Will we ever be able to hug and not feel like we’re getting germs on each other?
But there was also a different shift that I noticed. More care packages were left on the doorstep with soup, donuts, cookies, steamed buns; there were sidewalk chalk encouragement notes, driveway visits, and phone calls. Things that didn’t necessarily happen before. We had opportunities that we never had before to serve people by running errands and helping out where income had been lost. We learnt that there is joy in giving!
COVID happened, and we learned to love each other in a new way.
Because of COVID, we were forced to do “church” in a new way, and in doing so, we learnt a new way to be the church.
Jesus said, love each other. COVID gave us the opportunity to learn what that means.
So as we look into the year ahead, hold on to those good things. Hold on to the lessons that you have learnt. Value the visits you have with the people you love, even if they are through a screen. Instead of wasting time, spend it going for walks outside with the people you are close to.
Jesus said, just as I have loved you, love each other. He said this right after washing people’s dirty feet. He wasn’t concerned about how it would look. He wasn’t concerned about being uncomfortable. He was concerned about people.
As we go through this year, keep an eye out for people who might need someone to care for them. Don’t worry about how it will look. Don’t worry about being uncomfortable. Worry about the person.
As we care for others, we learn how to truly live. Jesus came to teach us how to live, how to give, and how to love.
- Pastor Tim Falk – Wynyard Gospel Church
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer and, in some cases, The Lord.
