Can We Find Emmanuel During a Pandemic?

IN PAUL'S LETTER to the church at Rome, he writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). This passage can easily be misconstrued to mean that adversity and hardship are ordained by God. A more faithful interpretation is that God can generate good out of even terrible circumstances. In light of this eternal truth, throughout this troubling year I have found hope and resilience by discovering silver linings in the midst of uncertainty and anguish.

One of the most important blessings has been extra, uninterrupted time with my family. A frenetic travel schedule in the spring came to a screeching halt in March, and I haven’t been on a plane since. My daily two-hour commute to my kids’ school and to work also vanished. I have tried to pour much of this precious gift into my family, particularly as my two young sons adjusted to the new COVID reality, including virtual classes that tested all our sanity. Our family spent the early months of the pandemic playing many games together and watching every Marvel movie made and our favorite kid-appropriate sports movies, from Remember the Titans to Miracle to 42.

My appreciation of nature also has deepened amid the pandemic. We filled our weekends with family hikes as we discovered new trails across the Washington, D.C. region. The beauty and majesty of nature take on a whole new meaning when you are holed up at home for so long.

The pandemic also forced me to lean more on God and cultivate a more disciplined prayer life. This was crucial to overcome many moments when I felt powerless in the face of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism. I developed a fuller appreciation of the Golden Rule in seeing how wearing a mask became a simple but powerful way to love and protect our neighbors as well as ourselves.

This year revealed so much about the brokenness and inequity within our economy and body politic. We shouldn’t try to return to an old normal but instead must reimagine and work to build a radically more just new, even abnormal, reality. This is true not just for our politics and economy but also for our personal, family, and community life.

These silver linings are not meant to discount the immense suffering and hardship recent events have inflicted. The Israelites didn’t know how long it would take to enter the Promised Land as they spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Likewise, we don’t know how long it will take to conquer COVID-19 and live into a new normal. But what we do know and can take solace in is Emmanuel, God with us. The journey of wandering in the wilderness and exile amid this pandemic can help us mature in our faith walk, learning to lean more on God even as we lean further into our love for one another and deepen our commitment to build a radically more just nation and world. And that is a silver lining worth fighting for together.