• anonymous –

They say we’re all in the same boat. Yet the fact is, while there is no doubt that we are all in the same storm, clearly we are not all in the same boat.

 

For instance, for some quarantine is a desperate family and financial crisis whereas for others it’s a more along the lines of a major inconvenience. Likewise, some who live alone face terrible loneliness while others who live in close quarters with family might wish they had more time to themselves.

 

However, perhaps the biggest difference I see in how people are surviving this particular storm is whether or not they are involved in a community like  church. Because the church is a boat built to float upon the storms of life.

 

Think of Noah’s ark: a tremendous boat built to keep the chosen people of God safe above the floodwaters while the rest of the world was destroyed. (see Genesis 7-8). Or think of Jesus in the boat with his disciples: of how “he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’” (Mark 4:41).

 

For in the same way, the church is like a boat: the vessel of salvation. And what’s more, these scriptures are not just stories from the past, but a promise that God will continue to protect us from the storm, and a reminder that Jesus is still in the boat with us today.

 

For the good news is that just because we are isolated doesn’t mean we have to be alone. Our church is doing all we can to try and keep people connected online and those staying connected in the way share how it makes all the difference to have this kind of encouragement and support.

 

“It helps me to know I’m not doing this by myself,” shares one member, a man in his 80’s. Or in other words – and despite the differences in how we may be experiencing this season – it feels like we’re all in the same boat.

 

So we thank God for the technology that allows us to connect across the miles, even as we trust that God will bring us back together again one day.

Also please reach out to anyone who might not be connecting with us online, and don’t hesitate to let us know if you need any help. 

In Christ, Canaan