Rev. Tara Lynn at Grace@Calvary church in Butler on Tuesday January 12, 2016.
I’ve heard that one of life’s simple pleasures is being enjoyed in a new way in this time of social distancing.
More people are taking up the daily practice of a neighborhood walk.
My family has chosen to shake up the doldrums of our self-quarantine by getting outside for fresh air and exercise. Last week, as we began this daily practice, we noticed something new. People in our neighborhood began to chalk messages of encouragement on their driveways and sidewalks. These messages said things such as, “Live in hope,” and “Wash your hands,” and, “Together, we got this!”
A search on the internet helped us find out that there is a national movement happening during the COVID-19 quarantine to encourage people to chalk your walk. We decided to join the movement.
We got out sidewalk chalk and on our driveway we wrote, “Peace be with you. John 20:21.” These words are recorded in the Holy Bible as the words Jesus spoke on the very first Easter evening as his followers gathered together in a room, hidden in fear.
These words spoken by Jesus were meant to give his followers comfort then, and they are meant to give us comfort now.
Much like the first followers of Jesus, we are living in an uncertain time, but people of faith have lived through uncertain times before.
The way we make it through this is to look to the central teachings of our faith traditions and see where the message of hope and peace resides, and remember in whom we can place our trust when the walls seem to close in and we are locked in our rooms in fear.
Ultimately, when those central teachings are written on our hearts and we can remember them in our most fearful moments, we can see the way to holy joy, even when we cannot see where the day will lead.
And that message of joy, my friends, is the message I hope every driveway in town will be filled with because even though these are difficult and unusual times, hope and peace abound!
Tara Lynn is pastor of Grace @ Calvary Lutheran Church in Butler.
