It is Holy Monday, 2021. Yesterday Christians around the world celebrated Christ's entry into the Holy City , followed by the story of His capture, trial and death. In that one service , we have a full gamut of human emotions. This year's Palm/Passion narrative is especially poignant as communities around the world prepare for our own post-COVID " resurrection". There is no doubt that many Christians have been stuck in Lent since March , 2020. Many people felt the pain of Holy Friday & Holy Saturday as bank accounts took a dive and many { over half a million} people died from COVID-19.
These past 13 months have been like few times in history. What at first was seen as " a few weeks" of " flattening the curve" of COVID turned into months. March, 2021 has brought a full year of this Pandemic Lent.
It was weird, and it will be weird for some more months as people receive the vaccine as they are allowed by law. Until we reach that " herd immunity", we will continue to practice safe cleanliness & distancing protocols.
Yesterday Brian and I worshipped in-person , and among our loved ones. Its odd that such a common ritual such as Palm/Passion Sunday takes on a new meaning after Year 2020. While we are still practicing safety measures, the act of holding a palm branch took on more importance after a Holy Week & Eastertide of sensory deprivation.
Worship-- like life-- is meant to be experienced with all five senses. After a Holy Week and Eastertide of gathering virtually for worship, my brain notices " normalcy" as it were a novelty.
I've discovered that I tend to notice the bits of pre-COVID life that are started to appear in my daily life. For instance, the simple ritual of watching the NCAA College Basketball games on TV with Brian and my Dad becomes something sacred. To a basketball family, the NCAA March tournament is a yearly multi-week ritual. When COVID hit our shores, the college basketball tournaments were axed completely from the schedule. Although this might seem like a small sacrifice-- and I suppose that it was in the grand scheme --the lack of college basketball games was hard for we McCarrens to let go. Sports -- both watching and playing them-- has always been part of being a McCarren. We love sports-- especially basketball. To me, this was let another ritual that fell to the Year Of COVID. Necessary---absolutely, but the necessity of something does not take away the sorrow of the loss.
As we anticipate the rituals surrounding Christ's last week of Earthly life and move forward into Eastertide, I am grateful .
I am also very wary. We know that the eventual return to " normal" will be different than our pre-pandemic life.
We are changed, and will be changed when this resurrection has completed itself. COVID19-- and keeping ourselves safe from it, has taken its toll on us. We are not the same people we were in 2019-- merely staying health enough to come to this resurrection point in time has been costly. This pandemic has forced many of us to re-evaluate friendships with people who choose to deny science. Thanks be to God-- I have not lost anyone to a COVID death, but several people I know and love did get sick with the virus. I know several people who have lost family members to this illness and yet I also know others who are not sure about the worth of vaccination.
It is my hope and prayer that the emergence from this " Lentiest Lent We've Lented" will remind people that we are all one in our humanity. Let's work towards a kinder, more generous Way of Love that Jesus models in the Gospels.
In the Name of the Earth-Maker, Pain-Bearer and Life-Sustainer....
Amen.
Sarah Elizabeth McCarren
Holy Monday 2021
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