As I write this, our world, for over a year, has been in the midst of a global pandemic. There is hope in sight. But, the pandemic and the aftermaths of the trauma it has created will be with us for some time. In previously unimaginable ways, it has changed the way we live and worship. During the past year, in the United States, close to half a million people have died of Covid. We are only beginning to understand the health (physical/mental), economic, and societal impacts of this terrible disease. The pandemic has dominated our lives. Sometimes it has brought us closer together and sometimes bitterly divided us.
I believe that individuals and faith communities would benefit by reflecting on what has happened and what God could be calling us to do in response. There is a lot of energy going into what we will do “when it is all over and everything is back to normal,” but the reverberations of this global pandemic will be with us for a long time. Things will never quite be the same! As we rush to return to how things were, I think we would be remiss not to begin to direct energy into thinking about what we have learned and how things might and should change. What are the ways God is calling us personally, and as a community, to be agents of healing?
Here are some questions to get us started as we begin this journey through the lens of: Creation, Sin, Judgement, Repentance and Redemption, Culture, Tradition, Position, and Action
Covid Pandemic Theological Reflection*
CREATION
What has been created during this time?
Where has goodness been revealed during this difficult time?
What creative responses have you seen or heard about?
How are people (communities, families, friends) being held together?
What is valued at this time?
What do you want to protect?
How does it feel to be living during this time?
What do you see around you?
What can you count on?
Where have you seen healing?
What new vision of truth has been revealed?
SIN
What has gone wrong during this time?
What has been hurtful?
What has been destructive? In your life….. In the lives of others….
What has tempted you? How have others been tempted?
What has separated us from God?
What separated us from each other?
What has compromised integrity during this time?
What has been broken?
What and where are the conflicts?
What have I missed because I wasn’t looking?
JUDGEMENT
What has touched you during this time?
What has surprised you?
What has shocked you?
What have we been called to change?
What confronts you?
What have you learned about yourself?
What have you changed your mind about?
What assumptions have been challenged?
When and why have you passed judgement?
What questions about the world around you have newly surfaced?
Some speak of protecting “the vulnerable?” Who decides who are the vulnerable?
How have the lives of the young/middle age/elderly been viewed during this time?
REPENTANCE AND REDEMPTION
What brings you hope?
What will bring wholeness as we move forward?
Where is God?
What have you seen/experienced that has restored your confidence?
How are we called to bring new life and hope into this time?
What healing is needed to recover from this trauma? For ourselves….For others…
What can we do to support creative energy?
When, why, and how do we start moving on?
What is the source of the positive? The healing?
How could this world be mended and redeemed?
What would make a difference?
What might help restore confidence in our lives and the lives of our neighbors?
CULTURE
What are the philosophies that are driving our culture during this time?
How has our culture changed during this time?
Are there any stories (books, movies) in our culture that help us understand this time?
What are we seeing in pop culture and how might we learn from it?
How are our political leaders interpreting this time?
What non-religious symbols have had special meaning during this time?
What are the artifacts from this time and how will they be remembered?
How will historians characterize this time?
How has the culture that surrounds us been supportive? Worked against us?
TRADITION
What has been the role of prayer during this time? How can it be a source of healing?
How has worship changed? How have our ideas about worship changed?
Where have we found solace and/or wisdom in scripture?
How can the lives of saints and church leaders guide us particularly during this time?
Can we learn from the response of the church during similar times of world distress?
Are we being called to create new traditions or modify old ones?
How has this pandemic challenged our thoughts about death and illness?
POSITION
What convictions have people and faith communities had during this time?
What is the range of beliefs and opinions of those around you? Where do you fit in?
Has your response changed over time? What have you learned?
What positions have held firm? What positions have evolved?
Has your faith communities’ response changed over time?
What has your community learned?
ACTION
What has been your life been like during this time?
How has your life been changed?
What specific actions have you taken in response?
What specific actions has your faith community taken?
What are the post-pandemic needs of those you are called to serve?
How is God calling us to respond to the needs of the world as we move forward?
What new actions might we take as the during the recovery?
Where and how can we make a difference?
Where should I focus my energy going forward?
Where are we being held back by the past?
What practices need to be redesigned?
