Just as surely as COVID-19 has seemingly taken over the world, it most certainly has taken over our peace of minds. And just as surely as we don’t need yet another all-news channel repeating again and again the same (bad) news, we also don’t want to hear some chirpy voice from the remote land of spirituality telling us to pray.
But, once we get past the anger of being in a situation over which we had no control, and our instinctive rebellion against people telling us what to do – well, perhaps we realize that we often avoid prayer when we desperately need it most.
So, are there some blessings in this darkly wrapped package?
When we read the Gospels, we see an alternating between action and prayer that is a constant rhythm in the life of Jesus. He never says, “Today I fed five thousand and cured a leper. I don’t need to pray.” Or, “Those Pharisees are really stressing me out! No prayer today!”
He seems to draw the strength and energy for draining work from life-giving “times apart” with God.
And if God needed such nourishment, how much more do we humans need?
During our “time apart,” we remember we’re not alone in the current dilemma. Nor have we been apart from God in any other crisis.
Prayer gives us a chance, even if just for a few moments, to slow down, breathe deeply and remember it’s all in God’s hands. During a crisis that makes us want to scream with frustration, the deep breath of prayer can remind us that this, too, will pass.