Life in quarantine has made us all feel like
orphans, to one degree or another. We stay at home. We avoid crowds to reduce the
risk of either catching the virus or infecting other people. Many of us are
dealing with feelings of isolation, depression, boredom, and hopelessness. Lack
of social contact and interaction has made us feel, well…alone. We let fear and
impatience get a toehold on us. We can even begin to question the God who loves
us, Who made us, who promises that he hears the cries from His children, Who
promises to deliver us from our sin and suffering…to always be there.
This pandemic has brought about something I
call “spiritual orphan syndrome,” a byproduct of “spiritual distancing.”
Spiritual distancing is similar in many ways to social distancing; the former
adversely affects faith, the latter adversely affects our quality of life. And
both impede our relationships with God and our neighbor.
Spiritual distancing is what we do when we intentionally
or unintentionally separate ourselves from God’s Word, from church, from our
church family, from our neighbor. We spiritually distance ourselves from God
when we stop looking for answers, for hope, for peace, in the pages of our Bibles.
We spiritually distance when we allow personal, personality, or cultural
differences to dictate to whom we’ll say hello, for whom we’ll be concerned,
with whom we’ll collaborate, when we put ourselves first.
Some 2,000 years ago, Jesus anticipated the inevitable
feeling of abandonment that would wash over his disciples as he suffers and
dies on the cross, only to rise again and then return to heaven, leaving them
behind as orphans in an unforgiving world. In the Gospel of John (chapter 15),
Jesus tells his disciples two very important things, one an expectation, the
other a promise—both are just as valid for believers in the 21st century:
1) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” and 2) “I will not leave you as orphans; I will
come to you.” (and he even promises to send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit).
Jesus doesn’t
expect us to prove our love to him by keeping the Ten Commandments. Not at all;
besides, he knows that we can’t, which is why we need him in the first place. What
he means is, if we truly love him as we say we do, we will keep the two
commandments sometimes referred to as “Christ’s Law” (see Matthew 22:36-40): Love God. Love your neighbor.
It sounds easy, but it’s really not—to do
alone, that is. Jesus means to assure
them—and us—that not one of his true followers, who genuinely loves God and
neighbor, would become a spiritual orphan!
For so many of us,
the strain of being physically separated from church due to this pandemic
really can bring about “spiritual orphan syndrome.” Only God’s Word, His promises
to us through Christ, can soothe our anxieties and strengthen our faith and our
hope—we can open a Bible, can listen to a sermon, we can be part of an online
Bible study (visit zionalamo.org to find out how you can participate!).
As the world
starts to open up again, social distancing may be still be a part of “the new
normal” (man, I dislike that phrase), but spiritual distancing doesn’t have to
be. There’s a Light at the of the tunnel—it’s been there all along, the very
antidote for spiritual orphan syndrome.
The Light of Christ.
We don’t have
to be bullied by fear, loneliness, and isolation; life is much more manageable with
Jesus, than without him.
Until next
month…
Peace be with you,
Pastor E.B.
