Today, I would like us to consider people we will encounter when we venture out into this post-COVID world – I know COVID isn’t over but many mask mandates are.
April 6th was when Indiana dropped the face mask rule. Suddenly, restaurants are filling up, baseball games have spectators, and people are rediscovering those facial expressions hidden for over a year.
I see damaged people
In some ways, I see God’s perfect timing regarding COVID. It’s spring. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, the sun is bright, and we are finally seeing the smiles of friends, loved ones, and total strangers. How glorious it is to see the beauty in every face I see, for we all are created in the image of God.
During those fourteen months of the COVID winter, people’s faces were hidden, although we did learn to smile with our eyes (I hope we don’t lose that skill). But now, as I look into the faces of people on the street or in stores, I see damaged people. God designed us to be with others. No (happy) man is an island.
Eye Problem
Now that I see people’s faces, there seems to be an eye problem. We don’t know what to do with our eyes! I’ve seen eyes that seem lost, dazed, and confused. What is this new world? Why does it feel different from the one I spent my life in, that is, until March 2020?
It saddens me to see this pain in people’s faces. Oh, there’s joy there. They are now free. But as a poor dog kept on a chain, we’re not sure about our newly found freedom. What is appropriate? What will others accept?
Strange new world
Almost like a sci fi movie, we all have entered an alien world; for us, an uncharted world. If we have received God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, then we can rest in God’s message to us in Psalms 56:11:
In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
As children of God, we can draw upon God’s strength for His Word declares in Psalm 100:3: “Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” So, as His sheep, let us turn our concerns to others for “… my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
As we venture out into this new world, let’s love others and not fear them. Let’s extend compassion and be ready, like Jesus, to recognize the needs of the lost, dazed, and confused. Remember, “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:14)
Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash
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