While some may disagree, it is my position that it matters who we are connected to emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually in our everyday lives.
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In this current time, we find ourselves at a place where we are unable to physically gather for worship services at our churches, gurdwaras, mosques and temples. In this current time, we find ourselves dealing with the Coronavirus global pandemic. We have been instructed to Shelter-In-Place and only leave our homes for “essential” items (i.e. food, water etc.) in order to minimize the spread of what medical authorities are calling a “novel virus.” Not only have many religious services transitioned to online platforms as a result of an unprecedented time, we have transitioned everyday activities such as: schooling, working out and gathering for work meetings to online platforms as well.
As a result of increased time online, some contend that publicly exposing hard facts surrounding the murders of #AhmaudArbery, #BreonnaTaylor and #GeorgeFloyd would not have made global headlines and sparked a social-justice movement in the streets, had we not been under this particular set of circumstances. Beloved community, I urge you, that while online, to be sure that you are severing any unhealthy connections. This might look like, people on social media platforms “blacking out” their profile pictures this week to demonstrate solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, but having said something racist on their timeline last week. Delete them. This might look like people sending messages into your inbox wanting to engage in a debate with you that it should be “All Lives Matter” as opposed to “Black Lives Matter.” Block them. You are under no obligation, as a black person in America to defend the value of your black life – online or in person.
Others say that you should maintain unhealthy connections on your timeline so that you, “Know who you are dealing with.” Some say that we should be posting and re-posting images and videos of black people being brutalized and killed at the hands of law enforcement in the name of “raising awareness.” I disagree on both points. We are under no obligation, as black people to take on the labor of studying and/or educating white people worldwide, at the cost of ourselves. It is 2020, white people and non-black people need to study and educate themselves about racism in all of its forms! Who we are connected to online, matters.
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Next, there are some ministers that in order to live stream their services, had to come into the church building to preach and post their sermons. However, other faith leaders are having people come into the building and lead worship for their live streamed services, during a global pandemic, not standing 6-feet-apart. This is a problem. We have to use wisdom when medical issues arise, especially at the pandemic level. In these troubling times, there were pastors that still decided to have in-person church services exceeding the allotted amount of people, because they “did not believe that the virus was real,” or believed that if they were taking any precautions that they somehow “did not have strong enough faith in God.” This is also problematic, and I want to challenge these kinds of notions. Jesus being a miracle worker does not mean we ignore the advice of medical professionals. It seems that millennials have been trying to communicate something before the virus, but it has become even clearer now: sometimes, we have unhealthy connections to our faith communities. We must remember that the church, gurdwara, mosque and temple is bigger than the building, meaning that ministry and fellowship with the Divine is not limited to the four walls. Connecting online for worship during a global pandemic is a healthy practice. Please remember that, you are under no obligation as a person of faith to compromise your own health and safety in the name of praising the Lord.
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After we remove ourselves from unhealthy online connections and then unhealthy in-person connections when it comes to our faith communities, we can find safe ways to fellowship during these unprecedented times. We can free ourselves to engage in activities such as: yoga, meditation, reading, walking or other physical exercise, listening to sermons, podcasts or inspirational speeches, and creating art etc. All of these are methods of connecting with and offering worship to God in healthy ways. Who we are connected to in-person matters.
Lastly, when we have government officials categorizing all Black Lives Matter protesters as “looters” and encouraging police to enact violence upon protesters, this is highly questionable to say the least. When Donald Trump asserts, “There could have been something that happened that wasn’t captured in the video” when referring to Arbery’s unjust murder, these kinds of statements can add more trauma or stress to already stressful situations. For example, we are stuck inside, we are unable to physically attend houses of worship in the community of our faith tradition, we are wanting to engage in a social-justice movement by protesting in the streets, all while ingesting hate-filled speech from the President of the United States.
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Beloved community, while it may be harder to sever unhealthy connections with governmental officials because you want to keep up with the news during these political times, maybe limit your news intake in the course of a day (take a break from reading the headlines), take a break from arguments in online posts/comment sections (give your Twitter fingers a rest), unplug (log out of all social-media accounts) for 3 days at at time, and replace time spent online with finding things that bring you joy. If you decide to stay online, block videos on your timeline of black people being brutalized and murdered, instead of sharing them. Don’t feel pressured to keep contributing to our collective trauma as black people in America and abroad. How we engage our government, matters. Remember to tend to your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health during these troubling times. Remember that time, Jesus found a way to rest during a storm? The scripture reads: “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion” (Mark 4:38, NASB). I invite us to do the same. To rest in the midst of this tumultuous storm.
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But before we can rest, we must cut unhealthy ties. After we sever unhealthy connections from our everyday lives, in the words of @NapMinistry, we must remember that: “Rest is part of our resistance.” Jesus invites us to take a break, with these words: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NASB). As the Gospel song goes, “There’s an army rising up. To break every chain.” There is a social-justice movement happening right before our eyes. But before we get on the front lines of this current political movement, we must take a personal moment of rest.