 MONDAY MESSAGE
from Stephen
and First Church Boston
Well, this is the new normal, no matter how un-normal it feels, and how much these frightening times shift by the hour.
What was unthinkable is now what we all have to be thinking about, for our own protection, for the ones we love, for institutions that sustain our lives, and as our faith assures us, "the interconnectedness of all life."
If we ever doubted that interconnectedness before, we can't now. The paradox of this weird, strange moment is that in a time we have to "socially distance," at the same time we have to re-double our efforts to stay connected. We pray and hope all of us will be well, and that anything illness can do will be limited and swift--but loneliness and isolation are as real a by-product of this crisis as any other harm.
When we feel anxious and sense that we have no control in any of this, please be mindful that there is much we can do to mitigate the separation--which is in our control, if we find the focus and mindfulness to do some simple things--make some phone calls to people that we miss, write emails to a wide array of people that mean the world to us, and maybe a hand written note to a family member far away. Limit the influx of news (that's directed at yours truly). If you can't congregate in crowds, still, go out into the sunshine, for sanity and little vitamin D and a reconnection to something beautiful.
It is OK to be fearful, and I have no hesitancy in saying I am not currently a paragon of calmness--I have my moments of freaking out, like everyone else. I think this kind of honesty is pretty important right now--we have had enough 'happy talk' from our leaders--you don't need it from your church.
But what you do need is the reality that we miss each other, that we should thank our lucky stars that we can connect on WERS and our Facebook page (and email your friends, UU or not, to tell them this is available to all), that the new Directory is being mailed out this week with people's contact info, that we have a community to protect, sustain, and hold on to with dear life. For the near future, I will send out a message on Monday, a previously transcribed Sermon on Tuesdays, a Video message from Daniel and me on Weds, a poem or quote for reflection on Thursday, and the usual e-news on Friday.
The service went very well yesterday, in a new virtual environment. But I need to add, and believe me, it goes against very thread of my ministerial being, that we need to have less folks actually at the service. I loved seeing you all, but we need to hunker down and be safe--that's the main thing. We have the tech tools to connect, for you to feel a part of things as we move forward...
The main message, this Monday, is that social distance need not be heart distance. Here's a lovely thought from the poem "Pandemic," written last week by Lynn Ungar, our minister in San Francisco:
Center down...
And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Promise this world your love--
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we live.
Much love, and stay well.
Stephen
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