Jesus faces demons, fever, a man with leprosy, opposition from other teachers in his ministry in Galilee, anxiety from his family. In Sunday’s gospel Jesus sends the twelve out to do the same — preach repentance, cast out demons, anoint the sick. Imagine Jesus sending you out in your neighborhood to do what he has done in his early ministry.
In Minneapolis where I live, we face inflammatory angers at our police and slow community work to end police stops for minor problems that lead to shootings. We get tested for fevers frequently, not as much as athletes who want to play sports. We discover the panicked may fear contagion less for themselves than for those whom they love. The daily obituaries describe incredible people.
In the 50 years prior to the first community of Sisters of St. Joseph, the people of southern France experienced two waves of bubonic plague and one of famine. Those details in our history meant little until now. In the New York Times Elizabeth Dias and Audra S. Burch write about the pandemic, “It has been a near death experience, for those lucky enough to survive. People have found themselves close to life’s deepest questions.”
As if a pandemic were not enough, we in the United States watched an invasion of our capitol. Our democracy that seemed so invincibly sacred and certain suddenly seemed fragile. Masks and vaccinations seemed no brainers before they became political symbols. Some of us have found resilience, some anger, others sadness at so many losses.
Today the other masked lady in my apartment elevator asked me how I am. “OK,” I say. “And you?” “Good enough,” she says and adds, “We are all carrying a lot.”
- How have you been? How has the year transformed you? What are you carrying?