Easter Sunday was a little on the weird side and yet it was wonderful too! We did not have any colored eggs or chocolate bunnies at our house. Of course, our children are grown and I have type 2 diabetes so sugar-free is my new lifestyle. We streamed our Easter service and did not bother with making the usual Easter dishes for dinner. There were a lot of changes to embrace this year for my family. But the one who has never changed and never will change is My Savior, Jesus Christ. He was crucified, dead, and buried, and rose for my sins thousands of years ago. Easter came as faithfully as all of God’s promises!
I am enjoying the new weirdness of worship that churches have come to embrace this past month. And it is exciting at how churches have stepped up their technological game. Their outreach has not only surpassed the pews but they are now venturing where even the missionaries can not go; i.e. directly into American homes and homes worldwide. For someone like me, who for the past two years has been unable to attend church services and bible studies on a regular basis because of health issues, these technological advances have blessed me with the opportunity to rejoin my fellow brothers and sisters in worship. And I pray churches will continue these opportunities after we have been released from our quarantines.
There have been other options when I am unable to attend church events like numerous televangelists who flood our airwaves. But, after spending eight years in the Houston, Texas area, my eyes were opened to the prosperity preachers, the scamming pastors, and a slew of other devious individuals using the name of Jesus and God for their own wealth and sinister devices. Funny how a big city can take the blinders off your eyes. I will admit to watching some of them on tv only to be disappointed at their money-raising telethons or the way they manipulate the viewer into giving their money to them. The promise of healing or release of debt if you provide them with your funds seems absurd to me. God loves a joyful giver, not a twisted arm one. I want to be able to watch my church that preaches God’s word truthfully and interact, even if it is virtual. A place where I have roots and connection, even when I can not attend in person.
Before the coronavirus, I believe we became stagnant in doing the same old things, the same old ways, and lost our vision for being God’s hands and feet to the world. It is the same experience when we sit around and stay stationary during the day, our bodies become what my Granny use to call being “stoved up.” Americans, Christians and the world became so “stoved up” that when the coronavirus hit we were unprepared and our response to action was unsteady. We were on auto-pilot with our buttons stuck in place. Circling life, around and around, daily routines and weekly routines over and over again… I think the Zombie Apocalypse really did occur in America!
So, now that we have had our merry-go-round lives derailed, what are you doing about it? Is all of this a weird way of life or a new improved way of life? I believe that the weirdness of Easter has led us to some great opportunities for our lives and we should embrace them! Quarantining does make you pick and choose what you need, not what you want. Here are a few of my suggestions I hope becomes the new normal for people.
Live by the rule that if it is not important for breathing, eating, and maneuvering daily life throw it out without second thoughts.
Honor the real heroes and not the fictitious ones played on a movie screen.
Revere the good things and people in life, and do not make heroes out of athletes, actors, and musicians. Their worth should not be in the money they earn, but the life they lead.
Stop the media drain game. Turn the news off and spend time reading your bible.
Love others as Jesus Loves You! He loves you more than you will ever know on this earth and gives you grace every day! Share His love and grace with others.
God Bless You!
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