Just when I thought it was challenging to promote hope…just when I thought of stressing the importance living out our principles more….just when I was wondering what the next worship theme would be…….just when I was thinking about emphasizing the importance of remembering that nothing lasts—all is impermanent…just when I was thinking about what was “next” for our Fellowship…just when I was thinking…

But these days, thinking is not always a healthy activity. Thinking has become an ineffective activity. Mostly because humans spend the majority of their thoughts thinking about the future. And I can’t remember a time when the future was so uncertain and our “normal” state of living so disrupted. If we continue to think about the future—it becomes very difficult not to worry. What if I catch COVID-19? What if I need to get groceries? What if I explode in rage watching another Presidential press conference? How long will the pandemic last? What….what if…what…how could….what if….

Another unhealthy thinking tract turns to the past looking for cause and blame: How could this happen to us? Why don’t we have enough respirators/ventilators/test kits? Why is our government so ill equipped? Who is to blame?

These are bizarre surreal times, but they may be—and can be—a time of discovery and transformation. What has happened to me since the impacts of the pandemic have hit home is that I’ve lost track of what day it is. I seldom know what time it is. I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow. I don’t know what I’m doing this afternoon. All my travel/get away plans are cancelled. This disassociation with real time was at first discombobulating. But now, I’ve entered a state of being “combobulated” (thanks to Rev Ryan for that label). I have become fully present in each moment and am seeing things for the first time that I previously missed.  Stepping out of normalcy and predictable routine has enhanced my awareness of what is. Sometimes I sit and just stare—a kind of open-eyed meditation—and I’m okay with this. The mockingbirds have returned to my neighborhood with their diverse songs mocking other birds. A walk to the beach reveals trees, cars, houses, and sounds that I never noticed before. I don’t feel “set free” as much as I feel that I just “am.” My beautiful hibiscus has died, but the flowering jasmine is thriving.

Regardless of what you’re feeling—that’s okay. Your emotions of fear are just as valid as feelings of fascination. Your worry is just as valid as your feelings of frustration. Your joy is just as valid as your sorrow.

May you all see sheltering in place not as a prison, but as a temporary time of transformation. This phase will not last—and the opportunities will vanish as we enter our new state of normal………………..peace to all………Rev Russ

Some Haiku for our time:

What looks like a trap
can become an open door.
Walk through—or stay put?

I create my thoughts,
and what I think becomes real.
What’s real? Up to me.

A new chance to see
what has been there all along.
Eyes open or shut?

Can hope displace fear?
Must we choose between the two?
Mockingbirds are back.

Now—a new day starts.
What will it mean for us all?
What we see and think.

What do we do now?
What can we do to survive?
First: Shelter in Place.