DAY 45
Faith in
the Midst of a Pandemic
A series
of daily reflections for people of faith
by Rev.
Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor
Patuxent
Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland
WEEK
SEVEN: TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2020
Quarantine:
Medieval Social Distancing
“…those who come from plague infested areas shall not enter the
city or its district unless they spend a month on the (deserted) islet of Mrkan
or in the (isolated) town of Cavtat, for the purpose of disinfection.” - Order
of the City Council of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) July 27th, 1377
Long before there was any awareness of the existence of viruses,
medieval city states knew that by distancing certain populations for a number
of days they could be spared getting what they had. For a number of years it
was 30 days and then, with the pervasive presence of the church, it became 40
days based on the social distancing of Jesus in the wilderness at the beginning
of His ministry, ‘quaranta’ for forty and ‘quarantino’ for forty days yielding ‘quarantine.’
So here we all are now in a state-imposed quarantine, a social
distancing of ourselves from each other, eliciting a new array of emotions and
perceptions unlike we have ever known. Lest we think He doesn’t understand, He
does – His ‘quarantino’ involved fasting from food and friends as the enemy of
our souls tried to dissuade Him from His purpose in becoming one of us.
What happened to Jesus during His 40 days of quarantine, of social
isolation, can also happen to us, as isolation can make us more susceptible to
temptation. It’s the probing question, “Who are you when you are alone and no
one is watching?”
Whatever happened in that 40 day isolation period – and we are
given only the briefest of sketches in the gospels, one thing we can know for
sure when we find ourselves similarly tempted: because of His ‘quarantine’ “…we
do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without
sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews
4:15-16.
Reflective question: With what are you tempted during
this quarantine? Talk to Jesus about it.
Reflective Scripture: Matthew 26:41–“Watch and pray so
that you will not fall into temptation.”
Reflective hymn:
“Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” – Claudia Herneman
(1838-1898)
Lord, who throughout these forty days for us did fast and pray,
teach us with you to mourn our sins and close by you to stay.
As you with Satan did contend and did the victory win,
O give us strength to persevere, in you to conquer sin.
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