LOOKING BEYOND OURSELVES
“Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’“ Ex 32:13
When my uncle got sick at 42 and passed away 3 months later, I questioned if there was a God.
When my mom got sick, I questioned God’s plan.
When I got sick, I questioned what God was trying to teach me.
The past month was surreal. Just two weeks ago, a friend was moving away. We made plans to meet up in 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and more weeks thereafter. It all changed after the coronavirus rapidly spread throughout the US. Who could’ve guessed so much chaos and turmoil can happen in that short span of time? Our plans were put on hold. Life is standing still. We do not know what will happen tomorrow.
Perhaps it is fitting it’s the beginning of Lent as it is the season for reflection and preparation. But this Lent is unlike any other. Gone are the days of giving up chocolates. Humanity is in survival mode. Our preparation for penance and Easter is secondary to the concern we have for our neighbors and loved ones. The things we take for granted – friends and family gatherings, a warm embrace, toilet paper – are either scarce or life-threatening.
Some mornings I feel like one of the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai waiting for the return of Moses. I lose hope. I question God. I feel his wrath. I pray for Moses to intervene on our behalf and ease the storm. Then I reason with myself: Is this God’s way of inviting us to look outside of ourselves? Why didn’t I panic until the virus touched US soil? The state I live in? The city?
As a lowly human being, I am selfishly flawed. I worry about people from the convenience of my environment. This Lenten season has been a wake-up call. God is inviting me, all of us, to slow down and care for more than what’s around us. He is inviting us to make sacrifices, check in on our friends, family, neighbors, and those we might not really like or know. Look out for one another. Be well. Love. “This too, shall pass.”
What is God inviting you to reflect upon?
Kath Tran