Spiritual orphans
Between the time Judas left to betray Jesus and Judas returned with the Jewish authorities, Jesus had said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.”
Fear clutched the disciple’s hearts and minds. It must have been overwhelming because Jesus told them not to be afraid, “I will not leave you as orphans.” Their community was unraveling, and they were well on their way to being spiritual orphans.
Due to covid-19, we too may have a sense of being “orphans,” cut off from vital relationships, resources and expectations. As one person said to me, “I feel like I am disappearing.”
I have known people that were orphans. In northwest Arkansas, two orphans were the late Ralph and Jo Ann Mascaro. Both were young children when they were delivered, by different parents at different times, to a Roman Catholic
Orphanage in Los Angeles. Ralph remembered the day a scrawny skin and bones little girl arrived at the orphanage. Ralph became her protector. They told me how much they did not like Sundays. After Mass, they had to stay dressed up because people came by to adopt a child. When the bell rang, they went into a large room and had to stand very still while they were “examined.” Sometimes a child would be chosen. They agreed it was a very painful process. They daily prayed for a family and a home.
When they turned eighteen, they had to leave the orphanage. Each one was given money for a room and a job. Jo Ann worked as a seamstress and Ralph worked on a farm. They got married, saved up their money, and headed east. They stopped in northwest Arkansas, bought a small farm and started a family. They finally had a home! They had to create their own family traditions, customs, and parenting skills.
From the first Sunday the churches were closed, ministers began talking about how to reopen our places of worship by strictly following the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and the directions given to us by the scientists. We were and still are in this together. To love one another as God loves us means discipline and personal sacrifice. Dr. Faucci said as leaders we must be examples and wear a face mask and practice distancing. Wearing a face mask is an outward means of saying, “I care.”
I am proud of all the worship leaders that have closed the doors of their places of worship but have been able to bring people back into their places of worship through technology. We are all still praying together but in a different way.
The covid-19 pandemic is not over. Wearing a mask and practicing safe distancing are still the keys and we need to follow the scientific guidelines. Those individuals who are refusing to wear face masks and will not respect the necessity of distancing prefer to ignore scientific wisdom and take their chances, but they are not loving their neighbors when they choose to expose others.
Like most things in the Kingdom of God, life is lived in the details. No personal or political timetable, speech, tweet, or a snap of the fingers will instantly save the day. The covid-19 virus doesn’t tweet — it causes deep grief and destruction, and it kills. Continue to pray for our leaders and our neighbors. Love one another. Be safe.
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