I have a little plaque that has been hanging in my kitchen for about thirty years or more. The citation on it is taken from the book of Joshua 24:
“Decide today who you will serve. As for me
and my household we will serve the Lord.”
It is very easy, in the comfort and familiarity of routine, to trundle along without thinking very much about anything in particular other than what is immediately in front of us. With reference to our faith life, it is as if we are spiritually sleep walking and going through the motions. We don’t stop believing in God but “serving?” Well that might be a stretch, which is why we need retreats and times of spiritual renewal to combat the spiritual malaise that can overtake us, or perhaps a global pandemic.
While there is nothing good about COVID-19, which threatens people’s lives, health and livelihood; it forces us to change, to adapt, to let go of some things and recreate our routines and patterns of life. While it is not something we would choose, sometimes it is in the struggle that we find or re-find God.
It is during such times as these that we need to remember our identity, who we are and who we serve. We need to root ourselves so that we can withstand what the journey is going to bring. We need to stay connected.
The fact is, God does not promise us health and prosperity, notwithstanding what the TV Evangelists might tell us. God will not save us from every disaster and put only good things in our path. God simply promises a relationship: that He loves us and will be with us.
The essence of our vocation is not to fully understand