Monday, October 26, 2020
The Rev. David DeSalvo
Levity
One of the funniest stories in the Bible occurs during St. Paul’s journey to Rome. (Acts 28) Shipwrecked with some companions, Paul and his shipmates experienced unusual kindness offered by local folks on the island of Malta. Since it had begun to rain and was cold that morning, the natives kindled a fire. Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. This is not funny. Paul was like, “Is that a stick on the end of my hand or are you just glad to see me?” The funny part is that the natives stood there in awe expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.
Really? Somebody, get me a snake!
Since this reflection is supposed to be upbeat and positive, I feel it important to include some good advice about fooling with snakes—if you provoke them, you will get bitten. Several years ago, Mary and I helped chaperone students on a trip to South Africa. After spending several days at St. Marks College in Jane Furse, we were invited one morning to go up a nearby mountain and meet the local king. Mary had two memorable experiences that day. First, she wondered, and still does, about the African king who lives in a modern home and drives a Volvo. Second, why our tour guide would advise us to leave the summit quickly in order to avoid, “the cobra that comes out every day at noon.” Mary, who was nursing worn out knees, admits that she never descended a mountain with more speed and agility than she did that morning. She was not about to provoke a cobra that comes out every day at noon.
These are unusual stories to be sure. I don’t know about you, but I have had quite enough of unusual lately, and am ready for something more hopeful to accompany this pandemic. I mean, who would have thought we would be using words like mute and unmute, breakout room and zoom, host and co-host so often? Speaking of often, I have raised my virtual hand more in the last six months than I ever did in high school, not to mention that the most profound things to come out of my mouth recently were said while muted—inspired words lost in cyberspace.
So, dear friends, you are probably wondering where God is in all this. Well, there are some positives and I conclude with a few.
Connectedness
The reflections I have read in these St. John’s newsletters have been extraordinary. People are sharing amazing experiences, and we are reading. We are all using this time of isolation to stay connected in awesome and creative ways. Thanks be to God!
Worship
We are caught up in a most innovative experiment with respect to prayer, worship, music and scripture the modern Church has ever known. Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube services are groundbreaking modes of living the Way of Love in our church communities. Praise be to God!
Gratitude
COVID-19 is giving us a new sense of appreciation and gratefulness. It has forced us to have a new perspective on all we have taken for granted for so long—freedom, health, protection, connection, church, family and friends. We may be questioning how life as we know it has suddenly been taken away from us, but we are responding with courage, resilience, patience and grace. Glory be to God!
It has been said that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Paul, formerly Saul, was accustomed to second chances. That’s a good thing because on Malta Paul was first thought to be a murderer. Why else would a viper have fastened on has arm? But things changed that morning. In a matter of a few hours, Paul went from deplorable to divine.
Friends, this crisis will end. Our journeys will continue. With God’s help, we will emerge more connected, more worshipful, and more grateful for the many good things God has given us.