Apart, and Yet Together

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”  ~Genesis 2:18

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. ~1 Corinthians 12:12-13

I really dislike the term “social distancing”, especially since it’s become so popular.   I’m concerned that the phrase and the accompanying attitude will last way beyond this current health crisis.  I’m afraid we’ll use social distancing to keep us disconnected, even after the danger has passed.

I understand the importance of staying separated physically right now.  We need to love our neighbors and ourselves by staying away from each other for awhile, so that we can stop the spread of this terrible virus.  It’s the right thing to do.  

However, we, as followers of Christ, are called to live in community.  We need to find safe ways to stay connected—to our church, to our friends and family, to our neighbors, to our schools, etc.  We are all a part of the body of Christ and we need each other.

We can’t attend church in person right now, but we can participate in worship online.  Many churches will be streaming their worship services via Facebook, YouTube, their websites, Vimeo, etc.  If your church doesn’t have the ability to do that, find one that does.  If you don’t use the internet, look for a worship service on TV or the radio.  We still need to worship God together, even if we have to do it in our individual homes.

Do you know people who are living alone?  Give them a call to see how they’re doing?  Let them talk for awhile if they’re lonely.  Offer to help them find supplies that they may be lacking, and then drop them off at their door.  You can use Skype or FaceTime to make video calls to family and friends.  You might feel less separated if you can see each other’s faces. Send each other uplifting emails, or post words of encouragement on social media.  I’m going to experiment with doing some Facebook Live posts to stay connected with some of the ladies in the Women’s group I lead.

 Are you part of a Bible Study or other small group?  There are ways to continue meeting through programs like Zoom, Go To Meeting, and Google Hangouts.  My church is going to try to continue a couple of its classes using one of these programs.  If you don’t have the option to connect this way, maybe you can form an email or text group.  You might consider a private Facebook group.

It’s my hope that you’ll stay as connected as you safely can, in whatever ways work best for you.  We can help each other through this difficult time.  We can teach others that we can be physically apart, and yet stay connected in Christian love. We don’t have to be “socially distanced” from each other, even if we’re miles apart.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.  ~1 Thessalonians 5:11

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. ~Galatians 6:2

Be blessed and be well.