During Lent and COVID-19

And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.             John 13: 3-5

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples.  This year with social distancing, social events and places shut down, etc. we will probably not experience foot washing during Holy Week.

I have attached a letter I wrote to the congregation that is on a humorous side, but in reality, however, my heart aches for the lonely.  For those who have lived for 50 and 60 plus years with family and friends around them in abundance.  Now they are home alone, in a self-imposed isolation and experiencing the anxiety that comes with loneliness.  Please, pray for them and others during this time.  There will be an end point and we will look back at this, maybe not with fond memories, but it will find a place in our repertoire of memories and we will tell about it.

Until then, what can you do for someone else that will make this experience a bit easier?  Start today.

To the congregation of the Hampton United Methodist Church:

This is Day 2 of staying home, going to the office for 4 hours with no one to talk to.  Here is the challenge I had this morning reading the ‘Do the Five’ list to help stop coronavirus.

DO THE FIVE – Help stop coronavirus

#1.  HANDS Wash them often  (Okay, yes, we all know what that means, time to sing.)
#2.  ELBOW Cough into it  (Again, we have been told this for some time now.)
#3.  FACE Don’t touch it  (Easier said than done, but will try.)
#4.  FEET Stay more than 3ft apart  (Panic sets in.  Oh my, I am only 5 ft+inches tall, for my feet to remain 3ft apart…Ah-hah moment…Breathing slowly I realize, I must stop encouraging people to do the foot bump as a greeting to one another.  Yes, I can keep my feet 3ft away from other feet.)
#5. FEEL sick? Stay home (You can go to work, the panic attack you just experience was self-induced not a reason to stay home.)

I do believe there is going to be some great comedy that will come out of this experience.

I want you all to know, (if you didn’t already.)  I am social person, and I miss you already.  It is day two, DAY TWO for me anyway.  Earlier I said I had no one to talk to, I must confess, I do have someone to talk to (thank goodness he nudged me and made me realize my feet needed to stay away from other feet, not each other.)

God is in my heart, on my mind and living deep in my soul, yesterday, today and all the tomorrows I will experience.  Without him I am nothing.