In Wednesday evening’s post, I told a couple of stories, including how I’d just preached about how we can lean into the invitation and calling into unity through acts of peace, justice and love.
And as I also mentioned that the last third of the service was highly interactive, with all of us giving examples of peace and justice and love to one another through the comment section. It was a thing of beauty, y’all, so pop on to Facebook if you haven’t already, watch the online church service, and add in thoughts of your own!
In the meantime, here are some of the things I mentioned on Sunday morning, just to get the ball rolling.
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Of peace:
*Pray. I don’t say this lightly, but enter into prayer: pray for peace, for yourself, for your loved ones, for strangers, for those most affected by COVID-19, for our country, for our country’s leadership, for humans around the world. Pray for a vaccine, a breakthrough.
*Practice meditation or yoga.
*Read the Bible, aim for 20 minutes/day.
*Go outside and be in nature, instead of in crowds.
*Uninstall social media from your cell phone, especially if it’s causing your anxiety to spike. Another thought: set a timer and limit social media to a certain # of minutes everyday.
*Read a book, especially if that’s something that gives you peace.
*Install an app that brings peace, one like Pray As You Go or The Examine. Those are two of my favorites.
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Of justice:
*Educate yourself on the systems at play in our country and around the world today that benefit some but not all. How do we seek equity and justice for all when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic? How do we lean into a model of flourishing, for all?
*Give generously: buy and distribute grocery gift cards to those in need. Put out a Twitter call and send money via Paypal or Venmo to those in need.
*Care for the vulnerable: Call a local homeless shelter or immigration services organization to see how you can help. Contact Meals on Wheels to see how you can directly support seniors in your area. Reach out to local businesses (and to local school districts) who are helping feed children dependent on free meals each day.
*Avoid crowds and wash your hands: this is a justice issue, friends.
*Practice abundance, not scarcity. Don’t buy all the things, people. Don’t hoard all the toilet paper.
*Call your representatives and vocalize support for those most affected by COVID-19 (ie: seniors and those who are immunocompromised).
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And finally, of love:
*Stay connected to one another.
*Look after your neighbors – as soon as we’re done, I’m going to reach out to all of my neighbors, just to check in. “Thinking of you. What does support look like for you?”
*Cook. Make soup. Bake bread. Let love FEED yourself and others.
*Host a Zoom call with those you know might need social connection, and together find creative ways to connect! Over Zoom you can pray and you can be present to one another even if you’re not together in physical presence.
*Aim to reach out to three people everyday through a text, a phone call, an email or a letter. Send a care package.
*Love local businesses, who are in desperate need of economic support right now.
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Here’s to being a force of unity, all of us, and even more than that, here’s to more peace, more justice and more love in a broken and hurting world that desperately needs a little light today.
In this with you.
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You know what I’m going to say now: what would you add? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
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