it will be faith

Catholic theologian James Allison describes faith not as intellectually ascending to a set of theological propositions, but he describes faith as relaxing. Relaxing in the love and presence of God in the way we relax in the presence of someone we are certain is fond of us.  When we are in the presence of someone we are certain is fond of us, we are funnier, more spontaneous, softer and less defended.  If I know for sure someone likes and loves me there is no reason to pretend anything. Allison says faith is relaxing.

                                                                        Nadia Bolz-Weber

__________________

These are anxious times

Covid-19 makes it inexorable march 

Across the globe

it is, in some ways

the end of the world as we know it

for we will be forever changed

by this event

not because of how many will get sick

or die

but because of what we will learn about ourselves

for good, or for ill

we have learned so much already

we have learned how fragile we are

we have learned that no matter how much money we have

no matter how sophisticated our technology

everything can be brought to full stop

by a virus

we have learned the impotence of power and wealth

and we have learned that you can’t gaslight or bullshit a virus

We have learned that fear and anxiety cause us to do

Crazy things

Like horde toilet paper

And kind things

Like watching after elderly neighbors

We have learned that some will panic

And some will deny

We have learned that some get shitty fast

And others get kind, fast

We have learned about social distancing

And live streaming

We have learned that we get sick together

When we deny and gather and infect

And we get well together

When as a community we do the needed things

The right things

And protect one another

I don’t know what the next months will bring

But what I do know is this

Faith will be important

for it will be faith that will allow me to sleep at night

(obviously something I did not do this night)

For faith will allow me to relax

to settle into the Sacred

and into love

It will be faith that will calm my heart

It will be faith that will keep me soft

And loving

And kind

And generous

It will be faith

That will get me through this time

With my empathy and compassion intact

With my mind and heart

And hands

Open