The new vocabulary we are all learning these days is quite interesting.
Covid-19. Flatten the Curve. Social Distancing. Shelter in Place. Safer at Home. All of these and more are words associated with our world’s response to the global pandemic that affects all of us in some form or another. It got me thinking, particularly about “social distancing.”
It is really physical distancing that we are experiencing in order to keep the virus from spreading, isn’t it? We are social on social media. We can communicate and be social with persons all around the world. My gratitude is at a very high level for the technology we have that enables us to communicate with each other, get a glimpse of what is going on in other locales, and even continue to teach and learn online. All of this is incredible when you step back and think about it.
Another thought I have had recently is that God is incapable of distancing Himself from us. He has always existed. His presence in the Old Testament came in the form of a cloud by day and a fire by night. His presence in the New Testament is evidenced in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, His one and only Son, our Savior. God then gives us the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to be present with us after Jesus physically ascends to His rightful place at God the Father’s right hand in heaven.
To think that when I am supposed to be away from others to decrease the spread of a virus, God is with me through His Holy Spirit. That inspires me. To think that God Himself is here to help me with my daily tasks that have been disrupted by this predicament. That helps me to get up and get going. To think that God Almighty is with me as I study, participate in a digital discussion, and make another online post. All of this is very encouraging to me.
While you are distant from coworkers and cohorts, remember this fact: God is with us. He always has been. He always will be, no matter what.
