Have you ever had good news or important news to share and people didn’t believe you? Being listened to and heard and believed is so important. It is at the heart of belonging. During this time of quarantine, it has been the stories of resurrection that have buoyed me when I have been down. It has been the stories of kindness and care for the least, the lost and the last in our midst. These stories have power to heal not only the hearer but the teller.

It’s Friday! That was just a PSA to remind you and me what day it is. My routines are so different now. Our family is trying to set up routines and schedules so that we can live in harmony in this strange time. It is challenging to say the least. I wonder if that was what Simon Peter was trying to do when he said to his friends, “I am going fishing.”

I find it wonderful that when Jesus encountered his friends even after his resurrection, he did ordinary things. They exchanged the Peace, they embraced, and they shared a meal. A few months ago, this passage may have just passed me by, but today those ordinary acts feel extraordinary.

“Were our hearts not burning within us while he was talking with us on the road.” This is such a powerful statement within this reading from Luke’s Gospel that is known as the Road to Emmaus. I have begun to discover that it is not God that comes and goes, but rather, it is my attention that comes and goes. It is not that I have to wait on God, but more likely I have to practice my life in such a way recognizing God is not just a possibility, but a likelihood.

“The Dude abides.” Abide is not a word of our culture, yet the Big Lebowski made it famous for a time. Yet, as we sit and process life as we are asked to stay home for the safety of all, abiding may be making a comeback. The Collect of Day hopes that we “may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory.” Abiding requires stillness, attention and patience.

“Do not be afraid.” Jesus says that a lot. It is at the heart of the Gospel. This isn’t an invitation to some sort of Holy denial but rather a reminder that we are loved with a love that is stronger than death. It is a reminder, especially during a crisis such as this, that we are the beloved community of God and our job is to reach out in love, in whatever way we can, to remind each other that God is with us and that we will get through this together.

As we live into this new reality of social distance let us as the author of Hebrews suggests, "not grow weary, or lose heart." Close your eyes from time to time and picture your cloud of witnesses, your beloved community and remember that you are not alone.