The church has been pushed into the virtual world. COVID-19 has forced the "body" of Christ to rethink and relearn the ancient practices of our faith. During this season, we are at once scattered and gathered community. We embody Christ--as long as we maintain social distance. We are unused to these new modes of worship and fractured community: Dialing into church. Muting our phones. Logging onto websites. The technology can rob us of our faces, our voices and our embodied gathering.
It does not have to be so. Within this faceless void, I am blessed. My industrious mother took to her sewing machine to make face masks. So the mask that hides my face has itself become a symbol of care and concern. My mother's love covers me as I venture into a bacteria laden environment. Until we have faces, until we meet face to face in gathered community, know that we are covered with God's love. This is not the time for the church to hide. This is the time for us to show our love to our neighbors. This is not the time to hoard. Share what you can. This is not the time to despair. Pray.
We do not have faces, but we are covered.
