While pastoring in Oklahoma, I would on occasion have to share something negative with an older friend of mind, whose wisdom I frequently sought. Ed would usually pause as he processed what I had told him, and then—were it truly something with potentially dire consequences for our church—would respond by quoting the pastor who preceded me by about 30 years: “That is bad and not good,” Ed would say, emphasizing the word, “bad” as he prefaced his response with, “As Pastor Marcum, would say…”
Most all the news these days seems to be “bad and not good.” 21 million are unemployed as a result of the Covid-19 crisis; the economic gains made over the last decade have been erased; over 40,000 in people in the U.S., have, (to date), died from Covid-19; and while we are anxious to get back to work and life as usual, we are warned that returning too soon could trigger a second spike in infections.
But maybe there is some positive in the news that is “bad and not good.” Maybe Covid-19 can serve to remind us of some things we were missing, things we had lost.
A young mother who has been furloughed from work shared with me how she was at first frustrated with the prospect of not working and staying at home. But, just a little more than a week into her mandated time off, she admitted she had adjusted just fine. Now, she says she will miss those special times with her children, once she is called back to her work place.
A young father I know who was away from home often and for long hours before Covid-19, has also been stationed at home with his two preschoolers. Like the young mother, he, too, had fears about being away from his work routine, and like her, has enjoyed his extra time with family. Every time I talk to him, he has another story about something one of his kids did that amazed him.
But it’s not just young parents who have experienced benefits from time at home.
A friend in her late 60s surprised herself at how long she could stay at home and be content. She gets out for necessities, the grocery store mainly, but beyond that, her home has been her hermitage. And she is perfectly happy with that, accepting it as a cinfirmation of her own inner peace.
As for me, I’ve grown to love my home office all the more. I can go downstairs for a cup of tea, visit for a few minutes with my wife, and return to my study in a matter of moments, yet feel more connected to her. And the truth is, I am getting more work done in less time than at my church office.
The mornings have always been a time of prayer and meditation for me, but now, I can linger a little longer in the quiet, if I sense the need, without feeling pressed to dash to my office at the church building, where I would do much the same thing I do at my home office. But at home, I am more attuened to that still, small, voice. And if I desire a longer break, later in the day, I can take a walk with my wife, or strike out on my own for what I call a “prayer hike,” like I did last week, finally climbing that knob I’ve been staring at for the past 15 years.
The work hasn’t stopped for most of us, certainly not for me. In fact, it’s increased. A friend sent me a picture of a man with a puzzled look on his face as he as he was trying to solve an equation: “(No church building) + (No in-person meetings) + (Quarantine) = twice as much work.”
Our work and lives may be different when we transition back to “normalcy.” Whenever that happens, let’s try and remember who or what spoke to us during the crisis, where it was that it happened, what and who brought a smile to our face, the circumstance that made it possible, and the moments when we felt contended and whole.
And let’s return to them, and embrace them, giving thanks that even in the news that was bad and not good, we could reclaim what we had lost, finding what was missing.