Many of us have experienced a stripping away of all the communities, events and activities that we enjoy and which usually provide the structures for who we are.
This is only exacerbated if there has been a funeral, wedding or other significant event that has been cancelled. Zoom can only go so far connecting us with family and friends.
It is not able to replicate the comfort and security of being in the presence of those nearest and dearest to us or experiencing the warmth of a hug.
We have all to varying degrees experienced grief and a real sense of loss. This means that below the surface, bubbling away are profound questions about our identity and where we find meaning.
Who are we when all we have been is gone? How do we live well during this time?
It is the reflective times when those questions rise to the surface. Most often our attention is on the more practical questions of, ‘What should I do with my time?’
A lack of direction has seen many of us flee to TikTok, food snacks, Netflix, food snacks and (if the popularity of Dan Murphy’s is any indication) a drink.
As you reflect on who you have become during Corona-Time, I wonder if you like what you have seen? Has it brought out the best in you or highlighted some aspects of you that need a little work? Surely we are made for more than this.
My Christian faith has challenged me during this time and helped me clarify my vision of who I am to be.
The Bible has taken me back to foundational ideas of who God calls me to be, irrespective of my scenario. Reflecting on the repeated refrain of ‘a child of God,’ which appears throughout the Bible has been insightful.
It is humbling as an adult to be referred to as a child, but this isn’t meant to be a put done. Rather a statement of truth, that our life is a gift from God.
To receive life as a gift brings joy. It also indicates a responsibility as this life is entrusted to use to live well.
But it also indicates what type of ‘who’ I am meant to be, ‘like God.’ His very character of gentleness, kindness, self-control and love are to shape me. Jesus is that human face of God that embodies the character we are called to.
Even though our world constantly changes, God remains the same. As we consider how to live well in trying times and begin to look forward to what life should look like next, God in Jesus provides the path to the truly good life.
Tim Bowles, Moama Anglican Grammar
12°C