by Jen Brukiewa

Can you feel it? The atmosphere of suspense, this kind of collective holding of breath waiting for the surreal to become much too real? There are moments of eerie stillness when we realize how many things have stopped. There are moments of solemn fortitude as we shop six feet from strangers in grocery stores. We feel the gentle relief when someone says a kind word or offers a joke that brings laughter and a sense of togetherness amidst the fears mingled thick in the air we’re sharing which we pray isn’t infected. Moments when you hear a story or statistic and your body quakes involuntarily. And there are those moments when a breeze wafts to remind you that you or your cuddly kid haven’t showered in . . . when was the last time?!

We are each making do in our own ways. Some of us are prepping, perhaps a bit excessively. Some of us are numbing out on Disney Plus or Netflix. Some are on Facebook. A lot. Some are just trying to figure out how all the online chats work or how to homeschool our kids. Some are setting up home offices. Some of us are in meetings about how to handle the influx of patients with not nearly enough resources to care for them all, moving beds around and reusing masks that are meant for single use. And some of us are going about as usual as much as possible.

But all of us know, whether this knowing is repressed deep in our gut held down by denial, or pushing hard against the forefront of our minds, that life as we know it is changing forever.

The unknowns can be overwhelming, can’t they? It is hard to brace for a hurricane when we’re not sure the nature of it. Some of us are already feeling the effects in jobs lost, social distancing, graduations canceled, or a cough that you’d normally brush off but feels different. But none of us really know the lasting impact this will have on our homes, our health, our country, and our world.

I wonder if what we’re feeling more acutely, as our worldly securities are stripped away, is the spiritual reality we’ve been in this whole time. Regardless of your understanding of prophecy, I think most Christians are in agreement that we are in the end times, a waiting and watching for what and Who is to come. Before Covid-19 we had already been told in God’s word that things are going to get worse before they get better. This world and all of its comforts are fading away. We know this. Yet as American Christians, I think many of us can forget this tension as we lose ourselves in busyness, and entertainment. And so, as those things start failing us and we find ourselves in this acute awareness, transformation is necessary and inevitable.

I would love to give advice on how to brush worry away and keep positive thoughts during this time, but I don’t think those sentiments go deep enough. Yes, there are positive things to focus on and actions to take, like helping others and truly being present with loved ones, and we NEED to be doing those things. However, let’s first remember to stop and bring our hearts before God. Pay attention to how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking, whatever those feelings and thoughts may be, and let Christ apply His Life and comfort, that go beyond this life’s comfort, directly to those places. Let yourself feel the weight of the unknowns and let it drive you to the One Who knows all.

What can we do in this moment of suspense we find ourselves in? Pray, pray, pray. It is no small thing to pray. It is not a sentiment in a Facebook comment to comfort a friend, or something to tag onto the plans we are making to handle things our way. It is the main thing. It is the first thing.

May we not hold the breath we are given, but instead use it in praise, repentance, petitions, and thanksgiving. Let’s deeply inhale His goodness and strength as we soak in His word. And may all that we do and all that we are becoming in these waiting moments be initiated and powered by the Holy Spirit through prayer. Then we will have keener eyes to see beyond this fading “life as we know it” and into the Eternal Life He gives us through knowing Him.

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philipians 4:6-7 NTL

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
James 5:16 NLT

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado