cultivating peace in a pandemic

Learning to inhale and exhale in these strange times. I sense the ebb and flow of disbelief and overwhelm as I consider how quickly this pandemic has altered life. 

When I moved to British Columbia in February, I could never have anticipated the end of my first month to look like this. Two weeks ago, my papa came for a visit, but today I wonder  if my sister will have to cancel her trip here planned next month. Too, I wonder when I'll next be able to see a family member at all. Just last week, I enjoyed coffees and brunch with my girlfriends around town. I heard panic and alarm on radio stations and the news -and yet I shrugged it off. 

And here we are. 

Although I am used to working remotely and using Facetime to call loved ones, I am struck by the abyss before us. I ponder how long this will last, how much of life-as-we-know-it might change course. 

I am so grateful Paul is near. We have grown so used to being apart in the past four years: the possibility to weather things together is not lost on me. His faith and calm minister to my weary heart. In his steady laughter and concern for others, I am reminded that I did well in choosing him. We are staying in his childhood home for now, thankful for wide, open spaces and the comfort of family. It is hard being far from my own family, though, but I am so deeply grateful for regular calls and updates. 

We are spending our days, home-nestled, whilst trying to make sense of COVID-19 and its tremendous implications on a personal and global scale. 

We met this day with an online church service with our faith community. Although I miss the intimacy of our usual services, I am so grateful for creative approaches to fellowship and worship in this time. Every day, I go for a walk- in awe of the Pacific North West's early Spring and endless fir on newly discovered trails down the road. The warm weather wraps me up like a favorite quilt and, for miles, I walk under a clear blue sky, save for the occasional wispy cloud. I fill my lungs with fresh air and sift through my thoughts, yielding them to God as I put one foot in front of the other. 

Today, though, Paul broke the script and thought we could instead go on a jaunt to the backyard for an afternoon in the hammock. The perfect way to Sunday. Soaking in drops of golden sun, songbirds filling our ears with Spring’s best music, working through our reading lists, calling faraway beloveds, penning feelings and thoughts aplenty, keeping each other company. 

More than anything, I am thankful for all those -near, far- trying to sow and glean seeds of peace in these times 

There is no need to moralize or trivialize a global health crisis with a pithy quote or a dismissive zinger, but I think there’s something to be said about learning to be harbingers of peace and hope and connection in a climate of fear. Staying home, washing hands, stocking up pantries - these are responsible things to do in this uncertain stretch of time. But acting responsibly includes loving our neighbors too -praying for the vulnerable, sharing (not hoarding), asking the elderly and immunocompromised if they need errands run, helping a low-income family with rising grocery bills, offering to babysit for those who can’t stay home, thanking healthcare officials for their tireless work, shutting down racist jokes, encouraging small businesses by ordering gift cards or takeout, helping dissipate misinformation. For those of us with the capacity for it, may our response surpass washing hands and include washing people’s feet.

Days ago, before public officials mandated complete social distancing, a cluster of friends decided to sit by the beach and watch the sunset at Derby Reach (whilst keeping in mind basic health guidelines, you needn’t worry). This proved to be a good way to regulate looming anxieties. There was the smell of cigars and pine, the quiet rustling of the water, the echoes of our laughter in open air, the glimmer of sparklers when night fell. As we watched the sun dip low against cerulean blue mountains, I was reminded that it will rise again, and that we are held firm. We can, to the best of our ability, choose to make these troublesome times ones marked by tender moments. I hope I can look back on this time of COVID-19 as one where we were people not of panic, not of cynicism- but of sacrificial empathy and faith. 

So I will lengthen times spent with Jesus, work faithfully from home, call those I love, lend a hand where this is possible, think of ways to further the common good rather than solely my own, relish in God's creation, celebrate small joys, ask my friends how they are faring, reach out to the lonely, pray and pray. I will create, because I am made in the image of an artist-God who breathes beauty into the world. I will try my hand at new recipes (yesterday's gluten-free pancakes proved to be a delight!), because it is a skill I want to improve. I will move my body, give spaces a deep clean, catnap in fresh linens. I will watch cream dance in my coffee and write love notes to my someone. I will ask his mom about what he was like as a little boy. I will wisely collect information rather than swiftly circulate hearsay. I will make sure my words sing with encouragement. I will read a thick paperback by the crackling fireplace, and I will listen to music that feeds my soul. I will encourage local businesses. I will encourage the health care professionals I know. I will donate. I will follow up. I will pray more. 

I know I don't have littles to raise or many bills to pay, meaning my experience of COVID-19 is quite different than that of many. I know that I have it very, very easy compared to most. Humbly, I want you to know I am here to shoulder your burdens with you. Please know that I will gladly lift you up in prayer or support in any practical or emotional way I can. My hope is that we, as a global community, would find ways to walk this hand in hand -serving intentionally, providing respite, breathing words of goodwill into the lives of a brother or sister. 

A Thiessen family reunion: a 3 country affair!

And, no matter the season we find ourselves in during this pandemic, I trust we could all use the precious reminder that this too shall pass, and that all shall be well. 

I was struck by the words of C.S. Lewis, written in the fearsome days of war, which are going around these parts. As we continue to prioritize necessary precautions, his sentiments sure ring true today:

"In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds."

These words have bolstered me in recent days. As we continue to invoke God for His mercy and deliverance, life will continue. The sun will rise and set, the seasons will pass. We are here presented with a choice: living fearfully or faithfully. I choose the latter. 

May you as well. May you be good neighbors and friends. May you meet these days with creativity, comradery, diligence, and trust in His provision. May you be blessed, friends. May you know, marrow-deep, that you are kept. 

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From Romans 12:9-12:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need [...] 

This is the Word of the Lord. 

Thanks be to God.