Made for Fellowship

​Daily Devotional - 8 September 2020

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone...’” (Genesis 2:18).
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When God made the statement that it was not good for the first human being to be the only one, He was making a reference not only to Adam’s need for a ‘partner’ with whom to ‘fill the earth with offspring,’ but also to His having created humans as social beings. I am made evermore aware of this fact this morning as I sit at my desk, looking out my window at the high school across the road. After almost six months of school closures and varying degrees of isolation due to attempts to control the coronavirus, the students are returning to school today for the first time. It is interesting to watch the dynamics...

Most of the students are wearing masks as they arrive...having rode the school bus, being dropped off by parents or walking. Though they may have observed the six feet of separation initially, it is amazing to note how quickly the huddles form. Nobody’s touching, but few are keeping the legislated distance either. It’s just not in our nature! We were made to connect, to embrace, to enjoy one another’s company. Even self-proclaimed introverts require social time with others, albeit in smaller douses.

Many people, not just students, have been unable to adjust to the social restrictions as legislated. And some who have tried, have paid the price for their strict observance through increased anxiety, polarization and depression. As a result this past six months have seen an increase in suicides, domestic abuse and paranoia stemming from fear. The coronavirus has forced us to act unnaturally and I think, that after six months, we need to give up the notion that it is just going to go away and we can get back to pre-COVID-19 normals. But this is not to mean that there is no hope. Rather, if we haven’t already, we need to get seriously creative about how we connect with others. We need one another...it is not good for any of us to be alone. And Jesus’ followers were never called to be the Church in isolation. Do you know someone who has experienced a heightened degree of isolation during this time? Then connect with them, however that is possible–letter, email, phone call, face-time or socially distanced visit. It will do you both good!
~ Pastor Jane