Hope Amidst a Dark Winter (January 20, 2021)

It’s hard to imagine that just in the past few days we have passed the 400,000 mark for the number of deaths here in the U.S. due to the Covid-19 pandemic.   The global number is 2 million and while we are only 5% of the world’s population we have sustained 20% of the losses. 

A common phrase in scripture is “Woe is me!” and Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.”  I cannot know what you are feeling – perhaps sadness, melancholy, loss, grief, anger, frustration, confusion, disappointment or even apathy.  I confess in recent times to having become sort of numb – not to the losses, but to the numbers.  Each death has come to a real life with each one touching a real family and I can only imagine the inexpressible loss and grief.  The magnitude of the numbers hit home when I saw the lights spanning the length of the reflecting pools on the National Mall representing the 400,000 Americans who have died to the coronavirus.  And we are told by the experts this dark winter is not over and there will be many more deaths to come.

And of course we all know, there is good news – vaccines are now on the way.  Yes, there are delays, and yes, there is confusion and frustration, but more and more people are and will be vaccinated.  As more of us get shots in the arm, the prospects of getting back to some sense of normalcy seem more and more likely.  And that gives us cause for hope and the real possibility and coming back together physically as a church.  I, along with many of you, am looking forward to that time with great excitement and anticipation.

Our ultimate hope is in God – in life, in death and in life beyond death.  As I write this today on January 20th, I am hopeful for our future as a congregation and a country.  In spite of the pandemic and in spite of the division, hatred and violence our nation has known – we can hope for a better future.  We can pray for unity and reconciliation.  Unity with accountability and reconciliation with remembering the past and participating in mutual grace.  I have said before we need greater civility in our public discourse and I strongly affirm that it’s time to end our uncivil war.

My prayer and longing is that 2021 will be a year of healing.  Healing from the pandemic and the healing of our nation.  None of this will happen right away.   But as we take the right path, God’s path which includes the way of loving our neighbors (all of them) we will be moving toward the light.

As we follow the One who is the Way, Truth and Light in 2021, let us live his Way, live his Truth, and live his Light!

In Joyful Anticipation,

Rev. Dr. David D. Young
Senior Minsiter