It Hurts

Yesterday I bumped into a church family member. After a bit of checking in, this person said to me, “I didn’t realize how much the church family was tied to my every day life. I didn’t know how much it would hurt not to see everyone.” It was a profound observation and faithful response.

Our separation from each other, though temporary, brings about all sorts of different emotions and thoughts, not the least of which is the feeling of loss. Separation from family, friends, loved ones, community… it’s supposed to hurt, for we are created to be in relationship with each other. This is what makes the death of a loved one particularly painful. Though we know, by the grace of God, that the relationship is only temporarily disrupted, it nonetheless causes pain and heartache that must be navigated.

Romans 12:4-5 says, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”

Brothers and sisters, what we are experiencing is a temporary death, a temporary interruption of our life lived together. Though we are physically apart, stay close to each other through calls, texts, and emails. Pray for each other over the phone. Share your joys and losses with each other, for we are still the Body of Christ, yoked together as the fellowship of St. Christopher. That reality has not changed!

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, keep you safe and make you strong, this night and always. Amen.

Fr. Brian+