Love in the time of Covid-19 - and always
LENT 2020 – Day 24
Hos 14, 1-9; Ps 80, 6-c-8a, 8b-9,10-11,14,16b; Mk 12, 28-34
Inscrutable are the ways of the Lord God maker of all things.... Like the people of Israel who lived in the midst of fear and anxiety, we too are in the midst of a great scare; and like them, who thought they were masters of their own destiny, we have for too long lived as though God does not exist – until now when the infinitesimally small corona virus has taught us a lesson in powerlessness.
We'd stumbled when we said “Our God” to the work of our hands; we’re now responding to God’s call to return to Him. Haven’t we realized already that we can do with a little less work, money, power and, above all, pride? We must set our priorities right. We can’t do without prayer, thanksgiving and praise to Him who is our Lord and Master, our Creator and Saviour. For His part, He has promised to heal our faithlessness, continue to love us, and be to us like the dew to Israel.
There are marvellous things in store, only if we stop and listen, dialogue, accept, love... Then we shall blossom. Meanwhile, let’s admit that we’ve been worshipping a fake trinity – Mammon, Bacchus and Cupid. Mind you, like the wife who watches her husband, so is our God watching us, and saying: “The Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength…. You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
Very often we think we won’t understand God’s ways; but if we care to listen, we will. Now is that time to listen. In this lock-down let’s open our hearts and rekindle our relationship with our God and our family – and set the big wide world afire with our love….
