The Opening

There is much controversy about reopening the country after a shelter in place order due to Covid-19. But what about the opening? During this "pause" what opened in your life?  What did you find yourself thinking and doing during this forced quarantine?  Did you realize something about your work? Your relationships? Did you remember God now that busyness disappeared? We were without work, sports, entertainment, family visits, weddings, funerals, and handshakes. The only connection with the outside world was through a screen. We zoomed, we facebooked, we tweeted, we watched Netflix and Amazon Prime, oh, and Disney too. We learned how to cook, bake bread, eat leftovers, trim our hair, do our nails, and use dish towels. All the while, we had more time. Did God stop the world so we could find that small opening to be with him, acknowledge him, and to reflect upon his love and that we are helpless without his guidance? All things can vanish in one swift second and all the knowledge we have as humans is not a guarantee to save us and keep us safe. Man will work on the reopening but God works on the opening, the small window where we can have a glimpse in our hearts that our true safe home is with him in heaven. Whatever the new normal will be, some will benefit and some will not, some things will be lost and some new things will be gained, same as it always has been on this earth.  As long as we seek the opening to God's kingdom through the love of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit within us, we will have eternal life free from all the dangers that surround us.

Photo courtesy of unsplash: Roan Lavery
Inspiration for this piece based on a Homily, Sunday streaming Mass at Saint Albert the Great, Huntingdon Valley, PA.

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