Day 2:
Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic
A series of daily reflections for the people of faith
at Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland
by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor
MONDAY 16 MARCH 2020
"CANCELLED"
“Many things have been cancelled due to the coronavirus. Love is not one of them.” - Rev. James Martin in the March 13, 2020 issue of the bi-weekly periodical America.
How did you feel about missing church yesterday morning, not because you chose to, but because it was cancelled? How do you fare when the predictable and comfortable are interrupted, when things you count on are cancelled ?
Many of us have lived for years with the threat of the cancellation of Sunday worship services lurking around in the background of our lives and calendars, whether it is the potential for a massive snowstorm or a devastating hurricane or tornado, all weather-related causes of a cessation of our weekly routine have been short-lived and manageable.
This is different. And as the increasing seriousness of it all sinks in we are finding cancellations confronting us in whatever direction we turn, from places of work to social and sporting events to schools and places of worship to travel.
So we have now collectively entered a time unlike any we have known before and are traversing a terrain uncharted. Things are changing daily, even hourly.
In the midst of all this change one thing will never be cancelled, but remain constant in our lives: God’s love for us, our love for God, our love for others, their love for us: “Many things have been cancelled ... love is not one of them.”
That great paean to love, 1 Corinthians 13, surrounds us with the inviolability of love, and sets out all things which can never be cancelled. It is a good place in which to rest during all the cancellations and changes swirling around us. Read it now and let it refresh you on your journey today.
Reflective Question:
Reflect on all the things that you are experiencing being cancelled. What do you miss the most?
How can love, which has not been cancelled, take its place?
Reflective Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:13:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Reflective Hymn: The Sold Rock
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
Reflective Prayer: Write your own.
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