Rev. Melinda Giese, Minister of Discipleship & Pastoral Care
Growing up, my family’s life revolved around the yearly school calendar. My dad was a high school teacher, and my mom taught at the local community college. When school wasn’t in session, all four of us would be home. This meant that going back to school felt like the beginning of a new year for our whole family. My parents returned to work after summer vacation to begin new classes, and my brother and I started a new school year with new teachers and new school supplies. Our lives changed far more dramatically at the beginning of each school year than they did on January 1!
Many years later, I still have not grown out of this schedule. September continues to feel like the beginning of a new year to me. Even though we are not shopping for new school supplies this fall or making our usual back to school preparations, while on vacation I found myself thinking about changes I wanted to make for the “year” ahead. For much of the last five and a half months, like many people, I’ve focused on just making it through this time of social distancing. But what would it look like to live more fully, even in a pandemic?
Some of the sayings of Jesus have a way of getting under my skin, of becoming a part of me. One of the Jesus sayings that guides my life comes from John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” I love this image of not only life, but abundant life. Jesus reminds me that this is God’s dream for us - that we would not just survive or exist, but thrive. Of course, most of us experience times of grief and trauma when simply surviving is all the work we can manage. But our hope is that the effects of grief and trauma lessen over time, allowing us to live fuller and more abundant lives again.
When Jesus speaks these words about abundant life, he also understands the suffering people experienced at the time as a result of Roman occupation, poverty, and mental and physical illnesses. Yet through his words and actions, Jesus heals, forgives, feeds people, and challenges injustice, constantly sharing what he has and teaching others to do the same. Even as our country struggles with the effects of climate change, the work to address and end racism, and a pandemic, God continues to call us to all the abundance we can imagine and participate in.
One of the gifts of our Christian life is this sacred imagination, of believing that abundant life is not only possible but also God’s desire for our world. I don’t have an easy answer to my question about how to live more fully in a pandemic, but the question is a good one for us to ask, not only as individuals but also as a church. How do we as a church not only survive, but thrive during this time? How do we continue to participate in God’s abundance together? What has God given us that we can share with others, even in a pandemic?