Life is sl-ow-ly returning to " normal. Granted, it is not the normal that was before the worldwide pandemic, but I see signs of new community life starting to bloom.
This past weekend a smaller number of women from my parish gathered at Beckwith Camp & Retreat center for a weekend of worship and fellowship. The theme for the weekend was " Living Faithfully Through A Pandemic" and we studied the work of St Julian of Norwich.
Julian knew about ' sheltering in place' as she voluntarily lived in a solitary cell for most of her life She also understood living through a deadly pandemic, as Bubonic Plague was present in wavs throughout her lifetime.
However my biggest take-away from the wonderful weekend with some of my Beloveds is this: There is no greater Gift than seeing Mother God in the { unmasked} FACE of someone you love. Along with some careful protocol, about 45 women prayed, played, ate, laughed and cried together. Seeing the smiles of people I love warmed my soul--- in each face I saw part of what St Julian calls " Mother God."
Before anyone reports me to my Bishop for unorthodox theology, please know that the concept of a sacred feminine is NOT new. Also, there are several mentions in Holy Scriptures that refer to God as a Divine Feminine. Furthermore, the idea of a Mother God is not unique to Abrahamic faiths.
Anyway, as I reflect on the entire retreat experience of this past weekend, I feel a sense of renewal that comes from spending a weekend in a beautiful part of Creation with amazing women. The ability to gaze into the faces of others gave me a glimpse into an aspect of the Godhead that is often ignored in Western Christianity. In the faces of women I know & love, I saw compassion, protection, and safety that one might associate with a Mother Bird or Mama Bear. I was reminded that a Mother Pelican, if food for her chicks is scarce, will pierce her own breast with her bill and feed her chicks from her own blood. I remembered Mama Bear, who would do anything she could to keep her cubs safe.
I feel gratitude for a couple of senior ladies I know who give hugs like an Grandmother and show me how to live a life in service to others. During Communion on Sunday, I felt my priest's hands as she pressed the consecrated bread into my palm { baked by human hands } & the smiles of the cup-bearer as I took my individual cup of wine.
Most of all, I'll remember the FACES of these women. Living in this pandemic has taught me many lessons: and one of the most profound is what we lose when a pandemic forces us to live behind masks and screens. Never again will I take for granted the smiles of people I know.
This weekend gave me a taste of what post-pandemic life could be like if everyone got in line for their vaccinations. I'm not naive-- I am fully aware that we still must live with caution-- the pandemic is not over yet. There are variants. But I trust that God has the doctors in Her care and with Her wisdom, we will find ways to combat this threat.
Brian and I had to go to the store this morning, and again, the sight of masked faces in the stores both made me feel relief & sadness. Relief because people at least follow the masking rules at our local Walgreens' The sadness came from the fact that I'd just arrived home from a weekend of vaccinated, unmasked faces.
My hope/prayer/mission right now is to convince people to do their part and line up for the vaccinations. The Face of God is in all of us, and she/he/they want us to see Them in others' faces.
Amen. Alleluia
In the Name of The Mother, Son & Holy Wisdom,
Sarah McCarren
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