A Strange Land

We are dwelling in a strange land.  Our surroundings have not particularly changed.  Our perspective definitely has changed.  We feel off-balance, out-of-sorts, off-kilter.  It's not unlike the disorienting feeling we have when someone we love dies.  We are frozen in grief, and it seems like a personal affront that the world keeps turning, the sun keeps rising, people keep going about their business.  Everything is supposed to stop.  To freeze.  Because our life has stopped short in our pain.

There is grief in our current situation--and it's starting to boil over into anger and frustration and rebellion.  We've got coronavirus fatigue and wish we could just wake up tomorrow and have the world back.  You know--the way it was before.  Before the earth shifted on its axis.  Before we had to go weeks and weeks without hugging a friend.  Before millions of people lost their jobs.  Before tens of thousands Americans lost their lives.  You know--BEFORE.

We can wish and dream of a different reality all we want, but it won't change our situation.  We're still here--together--dwelling in a strange land that we've yet to become accustomed to.

One of the assigned scripture readings for yesterday in the lectionary (a calendar of Bible passages for each Sunday of the year) is from 1 Peter.  1 Peter is not a biblical book that we often turn to.  In fact, we frequently forget it's even there--tucked away at the back of the New Testament.  It's from 1 Peter that I borrowed the phrase "dwelling in a strange land."  I'm sure that at other times in my life that phrase would not have caught my attention.  Today, however, it's a perfect description of where we are.  Here's the full scripture passage:

1 Peter 1:17-23

Since you call upon a Father who judges all people according to their actions without favoritism, you should conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your dwelling in a strange land.  Live in this way, knowing that you were not liberated by perishable things like silver or gold from the empty lifestyle you inherited from your ancestors.  Instead, you were liberated by the precious blood of Christ, like that of a flawless, spotless lamb.  Christ was chosen before the creation of the world, but was only revealed at the end of time. This was done for you,  who through Christ are faithful to the God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. So now, your faith and hope should rest in God.

Our understanding of the world and what it now means to be social human beings has drastically changed.  If we believe we can ever go back to the way it was before, we are indulging in magical thinking--wishing we could wave a wand or click our heels and be transported back to the land of before.

When you think about it--we have always dwelt in a strange, changeable land.  We have just been more able to delude ourselves into thinking that nothing would change--everything will always stay the same.  In reality, we have always lived in a world of dramatic change.  It just used to happen so incrementally that we didn't really have to take notice.

But when CHANGE comes in a big, REALLY BIG way--we can't ignore it.  Major shifts in lifestyle and understanding are always going to be disorienting--unless we are able to plant ourselves deeply and fully in the presence of our God and in the strength of Jesus Christ.  As 1 Peter so eloquently puts it:  When we are dwelling in a strange land, we should approach this new experience with reverence--because life is a gift--a very specific, valuable gift from God, through Christ, to each of us.  

I will continue trying, praying and breathing--because, as the scripture says, our only true faith and hope rests in God--the One who is forever present and never changing.

Peace and all good,
Pastor Jean

Easter Roses from Jan Dixon