Beloved Colleagues in Ministry,
I greet you with joy that comes from the Holy One, as I share with you this quarter, during Lent, a time of reflection upon the redemptive works of Jesus Christ. From your various places across America, we have been honoring this time with God and, suddenly, we awaken one day to find ourselves dealing with a COVID-19 pandemic!
Let us pause now and pray for all those who have lost their lives, their families, friends and colleagues. Let us pray for all the first responders, doctors, nurses and environmental workers who are doing everything they can to keep us safe and well.
As your ecclesiastical endorser, first, I would like to affirm your various ministries. I recognize that you are providing spiritual care, counseling and direction for those who are on the front lines in the most vulnerable places of our nation. Some of you are serving in the military, correctional institutions, hospitals, hospice agencies, airports, the community, police and fire units, college campuses and undisclosed locations.
Second, as you continue to live out your calls as chaplains, pastoral counselors, spiritual directors and specialized ministers, I ask that you remain compassionate and empathic. Continue to advocate for the voiceless and the marginalized. Utilize your assessment tools for crisis and intervention, anticipatory grief, trauma and suicidal ideation.
Third, God wants you to be well in mind, body, spirit and soul; therefore, be intentional about wearing your physical protective equipment (PPE). If no PPEs are available to you in your ministry locations, please do not feel that you must risk your own health by attending to others.
Fourth, do not allow the anxiety of this new virus' unknown path to affect the wisdom of this present day. Don't let others pressure you into thinking that you must take unnecessary risks or have some great words to make this difficult time go away. Remember, prayer is the best universal ministry tool of comfort and healing that we are privileged to access while practicing social distancing.
Finally, let the theology of the beloved disciple John empower us through his writings about the light, life and love of Christ Jesus! God still loves the world! Jesus is still the light of the world! Christians continue to have the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus!
Therefore, continue to let your light shine during fear and darkness. Let your life continue to exemplify the life of Christ in how you care for others, and let the spirit of love that flows from God's heart to yours give you strength!
If, in your travels, someone asks you about Easter 2020, tell them that Easter is not cancelled! It is for certain that 2,000 years ago on a hill called Calvary evil tried to cancel Jesus, and prevent the resurrection from occurring, but it didn't happen! This was not the end of Jesus' story, and I am convinced that this is not the end of our story! Beloveds, don't lose hope! The resurrection brought forth new life in Christ Jesus!
