Thoughts from Mitch-COVID Update

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This morning, just a day after the United States has passed 500,000 COVID deaths, I read this article from NPR:

It was interesting for me to hear other clergy vocalize some of the same feelings that I have had. In some ways, it's nice to know there is a shared experience. In other ways, it was a sobering reminder that COVID truly has affected everyone.

I mourn for the people we have lost. I mourn for shared experiences of grieving that have been lost, funeral receptions traditionally used for the sharing of stories and healing, placed on hold. Personally, when numbers like "500,000" are used, I see 25 or so names, the names of their families, the names of their friends. Today, I was reminded that each one of those 500,000 souls had a story and was a child of God. I pray that those stories will never be lost.

In the wake of this horrible milestone, I pray for glimpses of hope. One glimpse is from declining numbers of positive cases which seem to me to be evidence of effective vaccines. I see hope in the lines of people outside of Gamecock Park, in the volunteers doing their best to serve. I see hope each time we worship together in person and online. Despite sadness, faith, hope, and love persist. Today, on this first Tuesday in Lent, I encourage you to take a moment and offer a prayer for the grieving in our community. I encourage you to pray for those who have experienced heartbreak due to COVID. I pray that they may be comforted and reminded that they are not alone.

In Christ,
Mitch+