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When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:1-5
Dear Beloved of God:
The CDC guidelines that are being expressed through all news media outlets tell us that everyone is to strictly keep their “SOCIAL DISTANCE”. The idea of course is that if we preclude from social activities then this will help alleviate the spread of the Covid-19 virus. I take issue with that wording. In these times of crises and extreme worry, we need to be social more than ever. Yes, we should keep our physical distance as a precaution against the disease, but we can and still should be in touch, caring, sharing, and supporting each other more than ever. No one can sit alone, isolated from the world. We need human interaction for our peace of mind, for hope and to support each other. We can still talk to each other by phone, tweet, email, or computer Facetime.
Perhaps now is a good time to think about a neighbor or fellow church member that does in fact live alone and could use some personal social interaction. Give them a call and talk about anything, tell stories, share memories, talk about the weather. Whatever you talk about it is important, because we need that social touch. You could even perhaps, by doing this, find a way to help someone that is in dire need of basic supplies, food, and peace of mind. Just look at that scripture passage from Mark chapter 2, Jesus had been surrounded by the crowds so much that people that really needed to get near him were kept away. But four friends came together to overcome that need. They saw a way to help their paralyzed friend. They carried him carefully onto the roof of the house, and tore open the layers of palm fronds and mud over the crowds of people. They didn’t let the worry of the difficulty, danger or the mess it would make, stop them. They wanted to help their friend be near Jesus and they would not let anything stop them.
Don’t let the “physical distance” of this modern age, stop you from “social contact”. We need to be socially close, reach out by some means today and talk with someone. We can, like those four friends, overcome anything to care for each other and share the love of God.
In peace and grace,
Pastor Kirk Griffin