Let the Love of Christ Shine!

As COVID-19's imminent descent upon Orange County transformed from hoax into inevitability, I observed charitable offers from members of our community. One woman offered to pick up groceries for anyone at risk in our community. Other did the same. Honestly, I was ashamed. Ashamed that the thought of even extending such an offer had not occurred to me. My thoughts had been focused on my family, in particular shielding my family from the virus in order to protect others. I have six kids, ranging in age from three to thirteen. The ones under ten (four of them) do not understand the concept of personal space, so maintaining a distance of six feet is a near impossibility. While I have tried to teach them how to cough into their elbows and how to wash their hands with soap and water, they still need to be reminded and retaught. Beyond that, they simply do things that are really gross just because they are curious. Sometimes I like to imagine their questions for a laugh. Hmmm...how far CAN I stick this finger up my nose? Oh, ok, that far. Well, now, what's THIS and what does it taste like? Hmmm...not good, I wonder how FAR I can flick it.

Sadly, since then, this love and concern for others has dwindled. On Wednesday, our community management made the decision to close the neighborhood pools. (No, that is not a typo. Pool is plural. We have four!) Some of the lap swimmers questioned whether it would be a possibility to keep one pool open with appropriate safety precautions, such as providing hand sanitizers for opening the gate, closing off the showers and bathrooms, and requiring sign ups for usage limiting the swimmers in the pool to three at a time. All that love turned into hatred meted out over email. Responses in disagreement to the request were unkind, harsh, and judgmental. [Y'all know I am a lap swimmer. I swim three times a week, but this was NOT my proposal. For the record!] But, what happened? Why did the love so quickly turn to hatred?

Along with some other members of our church, I have been memorizing 1 John, one chapter a month. 1 John 4:19 says: We love, because He first loved us and 1 John 3:16 says: We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us. Jesus left heaven, a place of pure holiness and perfection, to come to earth, to live among sin, for one reason: LOVE. He, the Creator of the world, became part of Creation, experiencing things such as sorrow and pain and betrayal and weariness. The most mind-blowing part of it all for me, though, is that He paid the ultimate price of death and separation from the Father not because I am so full of love for Him. Not because I am so worthy of His love. Not because I have done anything for him. Not because He had anything to gain by doing it. He died for me because of His love. 

So, now the question I am asking myself is what is my purpose here and now? It seems that 1 John 4:19 says my purpose is to love. To love in the way that Christ loved: sacrificially, expecting nothing in return, even to those who are unlovable. I haven't thought that there was much of a way for me to shine for Christ in the midst of this pandemic aside from continuing to care for my family. But, the recent exchange of emails amongst the members of my community has shown me that maybe God placed me in this community in order to express His love at this time. I am endeavoring to reach out to some of the individuals, who seemed to express vehemence, to see if they need any groceries or prescriptions or other errands. I pray that Christ's love, which is the same yesterday and today and forever, may shine through all of His children now more than ever!