Community In Crisis

Do you remember 9-11?

         How eerie it was when there were no planes in the sky

Or the floods that hit Northwest Indiana

         The chaos that ensued

Well, it has been an interesting week here at Meridian Street UMC.

While we watched the COVID 19 virus spreading, I am not sure that many of us anticipated that it would spread like it has not only throughout the world, but also here in the United States and Indianapolis.

And to be honest, I don't think that we have any idea just how widespread this virus is at this point.  And how easy --- just a few missteps and rationalizations --- can help create a bigger crisis.

I was shocked to hear on the radio as I drove in that the Pope had canceled all Holy Week and Easter Services at the Vatican

Wednesday evening, I was frantically texting with my daughter, who was in Helsinki at the time, but planning on going to Spain in the morning.  She had planned to stay until the end of the month, visiting with friends and the family that she had been the nanny for.  President Trump had just finished his address and in it he said unequivocally that all flights from Europe, except the UK were being ended at midnight on Friday.

I was in full fledged panic mode --- trying to convince her to skip Spain, and head straight to London and get home as soon as possible.  Her family in Spain told her that they were concerned that Spain was about to be overwhelmed like Italy had been.  (That news did not reassure me!)  Which sadly has proven to be true according to news reports last night.

Fortunately, she was able to catch a flight Thursday morning to London and arrived back in Chicago late Thursday night.

All the while she was never once asked where she had been or if she had been around sick people --- or had her temperature taken. . .

I applaud the NBA for quickly postponing their games

         They really became leaders in helping to start containing this

And then --- I just found out --- on Thursday, prior to their ACC tournament game with North Carolina State University --- Vincent Price, President of Duke University and Mike White the athletic director announced that Duke would not compete in the NCAA tournament.  That action, along with the University of Kansas making a similar decision, forced the hand of the NCAA to cancel the entire March Madness tournament.

As far as holidays go, I like Christmas --- but I LOVE March Madness --- but I believe they made the right choice

I applaud Mayor Hogsett for pretty much forcing the schools to shut down.  Sometimes it takes a push from above to get the required action.

And I applaud Governor Holcomb for calling for no gatherings above 250 people

And while I applaud all those actions --- I have struggled all week with what to do.

On Thursday, I got a phone call from our Conference Superintendent letting me know that St Luke's was going to announce later that day that they were shutting down.  I respect that decision, knowing that they have well over 250 at their services.

But I still struggled.

I went back and forth. 

Listening to Fresh Air on Thursday just added to my angst

My intention this morning was to continue our series on the Path of Discipleship and focus on our need for community.  And while I needed to toss out all that I had planned on preaching --- I believe the need for community is greater today than ever before.

Listen to these words that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth --- a church that was struggling with many issues

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 (CEB)

Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? But as it is, there are many parts but one body. So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they? Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts. And I’m going to show you an even better way.

The question we need to ponder is WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST?

That is a much bigger and more important question that what does it mean to be a member of Meridian Street or even the United Methodist Church.

How are we --- as MEMBERS of the body to respond during this season?

Henri Nouwen once said:

Christian community is the place where we keep the flame of hope alive among us and take it seriously so that it can grow and become stronger in us.

How do we help each other grow stronger? --- how do we bring hope to those who are vulnerable and afraid of this disease?

Like many of you, I have been praying for those who have been infected by the coronavirus.  But, I have also been praying for those who are most at risk of being infected by it.  To be honest, there is another group that I need to add to my prayers --- those who are afraid.

Sometimes they are the same people -- but not always.

The crazy run on toilet paper is case in point

Fear can be crippling and cause us to react in unhealthy and sometimes destructive ways.

But God invited us to remember that we are part of a bigger body --- the body of Christ, and as such we trust that God will provide us the strength and wisdom to get through this crisis.

To do that we need to work together!

My biggest hesitation in keeping the church open is the FEAR that some might feel that they should come --- even when the really shouldn't.  Guilt and obligation are still big things in our lives.

I don't want to make anyone feel obligated or that they are letting the rest of the choir or bible study or whatever --- down to attend something when they should really shouldn't.

I also am afraid that those of us who are not in the high risk groups (although I am on the very edge) might get complacent about the risks of this virus and unbeknownst pass the virus on.

So I am washing my hands like crazy --- and I hope you are too

         I am also carrying around hand sanitizer and using it

We need to make sure, that we protect those who are a part of the body that are vulnerable.

So don't be surprised if we stop a lot of the activities that normally go on here.

We will find creative ways to do meetings and studies --- so that things can move forward

But while we may not gather for meetings or other things --- we need to make sure that we are reaching out to those in our community who are not able to get out --- who are vulnerable to disease.

Monday we are going to put together a list of everyone who we know of that is in the vulnerable group

Those of you who are healthy and able to get out -- what if over the next few weeks, you committed to contact (by phone) no more than 10 of these people

                  pray with them

                  see if they have any needs

                  be the body of Christ with them

While we may not be able to stop this virus --- we can use it to strengthen the body of Christ     

Bob Barr shared with me a few weeks ago a devotional site that I have really come to appreciate because it is grounded in Jesus and the requirement that we love each other and seek to overcome social injustice.

The site is The Jesuit Post (look it up, it is worth it)

Yesterday, the editor Father Billy Crichley-Menor wrote:

Our faith can guide our response to the vulnerable, including those who are sick, those who are at risk, and those who are afraid. And with this pandemic can come difficult and yet very fruitful reflections.

The emergency has left me praying about a tension I often feel between surrender and control. Where is the line between surrendering to circumstances as they play out, recognizing we are ultimately not in control of things, and doing everything we can to create a healthy and safe life for ourselves and others, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually? This is a tension that of course transcends coronavirus.

While I have no reason to think the precautions being taken are overboard and have every desire to comply with them and hope others do as well, they lead to questions about our identity as a people who believe we are in control of our own lives, schedules, and even destinies. Frankly, it is probably good that the NBA suspended the season, that academic lectures and programs are being canceled all over the world, and that even primary elections are being postponed. We are all probably in need of reminders that these things can be canceled.

I don't recall a time in my life when circumstances have infringed so dramatically on our common life. That probably says more about my privileged American life than it does about coronavirus. Nevertheless, it seems that we have an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be responsible in taking some control over living healthy and holy lives while at the same time surrendering to the fact that ultimately we are not in control.

Do you remember how Paul ends this section of letter?  He said: "I’m going to show you an even better way"

I think you all know what that way is --- LOVE

Love never fails --- so let us be the body of Christ --- loving each other, loving our neighbors, and loving those we don't even know --- because Love is the answer!

And it is the glue that builds the body of Christ

Without love --- there is no community