June 3, 2020 Under the afternoon sun on a hot recent day, a small group of women gathered at a spot along the St. Lawrence River. Each brought their own snacks, beverages and chair, and each chair was set up more than six feet apart. It was a “socially distant” gathering, but it was a gathering. After weeks and weeks of isolation, it was glorious. The setting was beautiful, the day was beautiful, and the gathering was beautiful. Leaving that river-side social hour, I was hit with a wave of emotions. I was sad that I couldn’t hug my friends (we’re all trying to respect the social distancing requirements). I was thrilled to have even the slightest semblance of normalcy returning. But beyond that, I felt connected again, both to these awesome women and to my faith. While I see countless social media posts from people who say they’ve been able to find more time to read, pray and connect with their faith in this period of isolation, that hasn’t been my experience. Losing my routine and losing my ability to connect with my friends of faith and my parish community left me feeling completely disconnected. I haven’t found the discipline to establish a routine of prayer and spiritual reading, activities I’ve typically relied on to nurture my relationship with the Lord. Enter the group of women. Some stated they were experiencing the same challenges. It was nice to know I wasn’t alone in my struggles. And it was nice to talk to people about faith and our relationships with the Lord. It reminded me that we are truly parts of the Body of Christ. Like a body, we need each part to be whole. We need each other to be whole. Connecting with each other helps us connect to the Lord. As the world starts to reopen and we begin to return to our workplaces, our routines and worship, I hope and pray I can continue appreciating every opportunity to gather with others as much as I appreciated that socially distant water-front gathering. |
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