Few people have failed to notice, or point out, that there’s a decidedly “biblical” nature about this time we’re going through. Despite this, with churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other houses of worship around the world shuttered there are few faith communities whose members have the ability to commune and take solace.
For the devout, or even those who simply connect to their communities through faith, this is a major disruption to the greatest source of continuity and comfort in their lives. And for those more deeply enmeshed in their communities, it’s left them anguished and confused. Despite this, members of faith communities can find in this time a point of growth and— more importantly—time to connect, with themselves, others around them, and with their spiritual reference points.
As someone who works on the frontlines treating patients suffering the traumatic effects of lockdown, I’ve seen the grave effects that panic, fear and a feeling of isolation can bring. I’ve visited countless houses of worship to help members of their communities deal with the many overlapping sources of trauma people are facing. What I’ve learned is that the faith community transcends the boundaries of any physical place. And what unites it isn’t place, but purpose.
If there’s positive to be found in the time of coronavirus it’s a re-discovery of purpose. In the “time before” the virus, purpose was something many of us actively searched for. We wondered about it, read books or listened to podcasts on the topic, and tried diligently, whether through a daily practice or a general wondering, to locate our own particular purpose.
Today, purpose has risen to the surface of our lives. For many, it’s about life itself: protecting it, safeguarding it and nurturing it. We support each other, warn those at risk, and rebuke people who are taking too flippant an approach to the situation. In other words, we’re learning to extend and expand the boundaries of our faith communities. In doing so, we’re redefining our communities in ways that are more deep, diverse and extensive than we could have imagined.
The irony is that, no matter what theological background you may have, this mission of promoting and preserving human life is the underpinning of any faith. For members of faith communities, that mission is eternal; that doesn’t mean it’s unchanging. Through every age and era, theologies and spiritual practices have adapted to meet the challenge of the times. When we put the disruption to our lives and practices of our faiths in this context, we see a bigger mission emerge for each of us. Before liturgy, prayer, sermons and events connected us to our community. Now we need to turn to acts of kindness, charity and devotion for that same sense of connection.
While respecting the essential importance of social distancing, we need to be as imaginative and generous as our theological role models were in their lives. This can be as simple as tutoring a child through Zoom. It can be picking up the phone to call an elderly neighbor to ask if they’re okay. It can be about charity, or a thousand other things.
What’s important is that we understand these acts not as a substitute for the practice of our faith, but the core of that practice itself. This is by no means an easy or simple time to live through. But it is one filled to the brim with opportunities to aid others in desperate need of our help. Perhaps, if we’re fortunate, this sacred mission can unite us all.
