We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality; tied in a single garment of destiny

SUUF Spiritual Reflection

Sunday Morning March 29, 2020 from Rev. Glenn

Dear SUUF Friends,
We are in the midst of a global pandemic. Already, our local healthcare facilities are near capacity due to care of COIVD-19 patients, and Coconino County is “now looking to declare a crisis of care emergency and seek assistance from the National Guard.”
https://azdailysun.com/news/local/northern-arizona-hospitals-to-reach-capacity-for-covid–patients/article_697d5e22-f896-5997-b06b-ffb2573044d8.html

A phrase from Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail; 16 April 1963” has taken on a special resonance for me over the past week: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality; tied in a single garment of destiny.”

Caught and tied together. King does not soft-pedal the reality of our connectedness. That can be frightening, as made evident by the spread of COVID-19. People can choose to deny it or ignore it or run from it. But alas, it is, inescapable.

Our connectedness can be frightening. And it can be indescribably beautiful. It depends on how we respond to this reality. (Adapted from UU Rev. Rod Richards)

Yesterday, I was feeling rather dejected on the state of the world. I was feeling fearful, for all the loss of health, and loss of life. I was feeling grief for everything that has been lost. I was feeling anger, at the poor leadership and poor preparation of many of our political leaders, that will cost lives. And I was feeling confusion. In the midst of this jumble of feelings, I was playing my church hymn playlist on Spotify. (Because I am a church nerd, I listen to recorded hymns at home). And this hymn came on:

Love will guide us, peace has tried us,
Hope inside us, will lead the way
On the road from greed to giving.
Love will guide us through the hard night.

If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot speak before thousands,
You can give from deep within you.
You can change the world with your love.

Hymn 131 in Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook (Grey Hymnal). Lyrics by Sally Rogers.

Love will guide us…Love will guide us?

How is love guiding me in this moment?
Love is telling me to stay home.
Love is telling me to lay off hugging and holding hands.
Love is telling me to stay connected via phone and e-mail.
Love is telling me to find ways to safely support/advocate with those most affected and most vulnerable by the virus spreading and the economic dislocation.
Love is telling me to find ways to safely support those institutions I want to still be in existence next year.
Love is telling me to tell my loved ones that I love them.
Love is telling me to be gentle with myself and others in these stressful and scary times.

What is Love telling you?

I will tell you this; you can change the world with your love.

Listen to the Love in your heart. (And if you can figure out how to get Love to tell you to stop touching your face with your hands, please share!)

With Love & Affection,

-Rev. Glenn

P.S.
A COVID-19 Pastoral Message from UUA President REV. SUSAN FREDERICK-GRAY
Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, shares a pastoral message for Unitarian Universalists experiencing the impacts of COVID-19 in our communities and congregations.
https://vimeo.com/398972222

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