Wednesday, January 20, 2021
400,000. The number is overwhelming. A year ago when he first coronavirus patient was in that Seattle hospital, none of us ever thought it would be this bad. Yesterday looking at the lights, one for each person who had died, I had to wonder how many more would die before we all are vaccinated.
The tribute of remembrance was short but very moving. The Covid nurse Lori Marie Key singing “Amazing Grace,” the hymn written by an ex-slaver who became a fierce opponent of the slave trade, was surely a descendant of that very trade. In order to heal, we must remember.
We must remember that behind each one of those numbers was a person who had been loved at one point in their lives. The healing from hate is different than the healing we experience in grieving. Both are necessary as we move forward as a nation, but both are essential to us as a people.
Prayer for the Day
Grant us grace, O Lord, to find healing within ourselves and others,
For we are caught in the depths of despair and grief;
Grant us your mercy, O God, enabling us to move beyond our fears,
For even as there is the promise of hope we are still afraid.
Envelop us with your Spirit, one of faith in your power
So we may be restored to health as a people.
In the name of him who is the Great Healer,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.
- Brennan Manning, American writer, laicized priest (1934-2013)
As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else.
- Maya Angelou, American poet (1928-2014)
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire but you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart.
Psalm 73: 24-26