I have spent today first in a virtual church lobby, then virtually with my evening small group, and in between with the Roosevelts.
This morning, I logged on early because I didn't want to log on right at the start of service and then have a problem with getting in. I was glad I did. We had a "virtual church lobby" where we traded messages back and forth. Matthew set up his own account with his email address and it was fun to see his comments in the lobby. He wanted to know when they would start cleaning up after communion again. One of the people who works with him said that he should stay in shape by doing the dishes. :-)
Don, in the sermon, talked about the time he went to racing school. I remember that time. It was a 40th birthday present from his wife. When he went there and was learning how to drive the cars, he was concentrating mostly on not hitting the wall. At lunchtime, he observed, zooming out of the garage and taking to the track, John Andretti, a member of the famous Andretti racing family.
Later, Don got to talk with John Andretti and asked him, when you enter turn one, what are you looking at?
John's answer: "I'm looking for the exit out of turn two."
Huh?
He explained, "At that speed (around 200 mph), if I was only looking at what was in front of me, I would hit the wall."
Don said, this stuck with him as a metaphor for life. What are we looking at that's in front of us that may cause us to "hit a wall", rather than realizing that there's going to be an exit to that experience?
He reminded us of the story of the exiles in Babylon that Jeremiah wrote to in chapter 29. So many of us have seen Jeremiah 29:11 on plaques, on Facebook memes; some of us may have claimed it as a "life verse". It's the famous, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
That's the "exit out of turn two" that we're looking towards, the hope and the future.
But right now, we're in the "turn one", in this event called the coronavirus pandemic that has uprooted and upended us.
When the kingdom of Judah was carried off to Babylon, Jeremiah the prophet wrote to them. He told them that yes, guys, you're in the "turn one" of this journey. So here's what you need to do while you're in this turn one: Build houses, plant gardens and harvest them. Get married and have kids, and have them get married so they can have kids. Work for the peace and prosperity of the city you're in, because its welfare will determine your welfare. (I am reading the New Living Translation as I am writing this.) They were going to be there for 70 years before they'd go back home to Judah.
As Jeremiah was writing his letter, there were false prophets telling them that this isn't going to last that long, you'll be back home soon. Jeremiah's answer: Nope, not the case. Your "turn one" is going to last a while, and you need to be thinking about what you're going to do while you're in that "turn one." Eventually, you'll make it through your "turn two"; God did promise "you will find me when you seek me," and that he would restore their fortunes.
So how are we supposed to handle our "turn one" while looking towards the exit from "turn two"? What are we supposed to get out of our experience of being in lockdown, in quarantine, in this abnormal where we are confronted with empty shelves that should be full of toilet paper, of fresh meat and vegetables, of fresh produce?
The main thing? Be humble, and seek God with all our hearts.
I would love to get out of this "turn one" now, or in the next week or next month. I want to go to the store and not worry about, can I get bread, or meat? Or toilet paper? I dislike being bored and stir-crazy. And sometimes I would just rather whine and wallow in how hard my life has been.
But this virus will come to an end. The turn two will happen. The death rate will drop to the point where we can safely, again, shake hands, hug, get closer than six feet, visit a church, go shopping, and not be afraid.
What are we going to take out of this "turn one" experience when we exit from "turn two?"
Right now, I don't know yet. Perhaps I will have more of an appreciation for gatherings, for seeing people face to face. Perhaps I will know not to take for granted whether or not my local store has what I need or what I want.
Maybe, just maybe, now is the time to put my helmet on, hop in the driver's seat, fire up the engine, and take off down the straightaway . . . and when I twist that wheel and go into turn one, lock my eyes onto that "turn two" exit. Because I want to come out of that "turn two" better than I was when I went into "turn one"
In the meantime, let's crank up the stereo and sing it loud:
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine!
Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.
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