Beyond Isolation: A Child’s Perspective

Insights Into The Covid-19 Church Era – Part V

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“Some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

“Mom, she’s touching me! Mom, she’s looking at me! Mom…” Mom threatens, “If you two don’t social distance, I will have to pull this car over and deal with the both of you!” Good luck! First the Stay-At-Home Order doesn’t allow you to be in the car, and, second, the kids are already strapped in their car seats! Trust me, children have no concept of social distancing. They love hugging one another, dancing with each other, playing and socializing with one another, and even giving kisses when feeling loved. They thrive being in groups.

“Mom, I miss my friends (at day care, kindergartens, or school),” they bemoan because they do not understand “Stay-At-Home” edicts. “Go to your room for time out!” Mom demands when disciplining, but isolation becomes a tedious daily process that is wearing all of us down. What have we done wrong that is causing this “time out”?

Apparently God’s children, Christians, aren’t much better at understanding this pandemic. They want to congregate, cram in pews, shake hands, and hug, Social distancing is challenging.  No longer wanting to stay at home, they claim going to church a Constitutional right, a freedom of religion issue, a right to assemble, separation of church and state, etc., etc., etc. Like an impatient child in a car seat, most Christians are antsy. Actually, they have no idea how to do church when away from church.

How do you greet one another when self-quarantined? My 4 year-old grand daughter loves to do crafts, baptizing herself in glitter and glue! Everyone she knows has “refrigerator art” because she has made multiple dozens of “cards” while going through a roll of stamps in no time. Today she has a bedroom full of cards and letters from all the people who have written back to her. She, alone, has saved the U.S. Postal Service, alias “snail mail”, during these harsh, economic times.

If the definition of worship is the “giving back to the Lord what he has already given you,” then card giving is an act of worship. She gave her God-given artistic talent back to the Lord by making and giving cards to others. They in turn, now feeling blessed, and sent cards back to her. God bless her giving, worshiping soul, “for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Being stewards, worship is giving what you have away. At death we all possess the same size piece of real estate, a 4x6x6 gravesite. Nothing materially goes with us to heaven or hell. Another way we can serve one another during a pandemic is through service. My daughter, a single mother, had been furloughed during the pandemic. Being at home 24/7, alone with her 4 year-old daughter totally drained her. Her physical and emotional cupboards were bare. She poured her frustrations out on social networks. A delivery of multiple bags of groceries came to her door sent by a high school friend she barely knew who saw her need and gave. It brought tears of gratitude to my daughter. That is worship! Simple acts of giving and receiving have impacted my daughter while the conventional church structure is still trying to figure out how to do church during the Covid-19 pandemic! That is how God’s love can be expressed.

Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.