Why is social distancing so hard? Well, it is hard for a number of reasons.
- It is challenging because it makes it impossible for some of us to see our family, if they are in a vulnerable population or live in a care facility or are hospitalized.
- It is challenging because it makes it harder for some to do their vocations. How do you educate from a distance? Scores of teachers around the world are trying to figure that out right now! How do you best lead worship services through livestreams? Our team has evaluated and iterated on that process for two months now. Many of you are wrestling through this in your businesses as well. It is doable, but it is harder.
- It is challenging because it keeps you from gathering together with your friends. Safer at home orders have forced people to communicate primarily through a screen. We are thankful for that opportunity, but is is also somewhat 2-D. You can add depth … but it is harder.
- It is challenging because when the meeting is over, the meeting is over. Everyone clicks out of their screen. No lingering in the lobby, no conversations in the parking lot, etc. You an have a follow up phone call, but you may not have their number … it is just harder.
- It is challenging because humor is hard in this environment. You can deliver a GREAT JOKE in a conversation … your “A” material … and it goes unnoticed because you had the mute button on! Dang it!
Social distancing is hard for lots of reasons. But even though it is hard to communicate in this environment, we still do it, don’t we? We put up with Zoom calls. We tolerate extra time on the phone. We may have even written hand written notes and mailed them to friends for the first time in years. We put masks on and have our temperature scanned so we can go to work. WHY? Why are we allowing the cost to communicate to be raised, and yet we are still willing to pay it?
Well, I think there is a biblical answer to this question. We were made for each other. It was not good for Adam to be alone in the Garden, and it is not good for you to be alone in this life.
I recently read about Vietnam prisoners of war who developed elaborate ways to communicate with each other while they were kept in solitary confinement for weeks on end. Why? Because they just needed that interaction.
Thankfully, while public health concerns can lead us to PHYSICAL DISTANCE, we will still find ways to be SOCIAL, because that is what we were created to do.
This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be talking more about how we can grow through this pandemic in our spiritual lives by growing in our love for others … even though the physical distance is high … even when it is hard. We do it, because we were made for it.
Jesus Himself said, “They will know you are My disciples by the way you love one another.” This Sunday, we will talk about how we are made to “one another” one another in part two of our “Growing Up?” sermon series. Hope to see you there on the livestream at wildwoodchurch.org/live at 11AM.