The “Come Holy Spirit” prayer really hit me the other day in the midst of the darkness surrounding us due to the pandemic, especially this line:
“Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.”
As I sat with scripture and my lighted Advent wreath, I reflected on the fact that God is, in fact, renewing the face of the earth! My candles brought light into the cloudy day and I felt comforted by God’s presence.
In the midst of this virus that is running rampant, the best thing we can do is protect ourselves from hopelessness.
I remember on various occasions, my Mom would tell me she had to turn off the news because it was too depressing. For those who lived through September 11, 2001 and watched the replays of the planes hitting the twin towers, you know what I mean. You can only take so much bad news.
It occurred to me the other day after I watched yet another account of a family who lost a loved one, that watching the excruciating grief constantly being played out on the news was not healthy for me.
I understand the goal is to bring the reality of the pandemic into our living rooms so that maybe we just might start being responsible. I am also not suggesting we bury our heads in the sand, but I came to realize that it was beginning to zap my inner spirit.
At least for Advent, I made the necessary decision to delete one of my news apps that I go to throughout the day (yes, I’m a bit of a news junkie.)
Because of Advent, but mostly because of my growing awareness of the need to inundate myself with the hope that is in Jesus, I am trying to diminish my fears and increase my focus on joy and trust in God, by stepping up my devotional time. It is the only way as a Christian, that I can open myself up to receiving what God continues to give in this moment of darkness.
As I just happened to turn to The First Letter of Peter, I was not disappointed. Peter reminds us (Chapter 4) that “Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins” and that in everything we do, let God be glorified.
In speaking of trials of persecution, Peter said that we should not be surprised when we experience a “trial by fire.” This is not a strange thing, he said, but it is a way for us to share in the sufferings of Christ. We will one day rejoice when God’s glory is revealed.
Most surprising to me as I prayed through Chapter 2, was Peter’s admonition, “Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil . . . “
And that’s where I would like to conclude. Too often we do use our freedom to justify doing things that are evil. Whether we are talking about abortion, euthanasia or whatever, our freedom must be exercised using wisdom so that we turn away from evil, not promote it.
One last thought about my choosing to lessen the negativity coming into my day—it’s not that we shouldn’t face it or that we should turn away from the sufferings of our fellow man.
Peter said (Chapter 3), “Do not be afraid or terrified with fear . . . but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence . . . .”
If we are to do as Peter suggests, then we have to give God more room in our hearts where his joy can enter and be victorious over the darkness hovering around us. In doing so, we are not turning our backs on our brothers and sisters who are suffering; we are not being less compassionate. But we are, in fact, allowing God to renew us so that we can bring his light to others.
Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
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