I wash my hands a lot more these days. It makes me think about how much more I probably should have been washing my hands before. I think a lot more before I go out, about where I’m going, what I’ll need to bring (mask, sanitizer, etc.), and honestly do I really need to go at all?
All this thinking is tiring. But it is necessary right now, for the safety of my family and my community, and for our future. The invisible virus has made me look a lot harder at everyday life. So I make sure to do small, supportive, daily things to help me keep going, like getting enough sleep, exercising, and getting outside.
The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other people of color in our country have made me look a lot harder at the invisible virus of racism in my country and in our world. My reading list has changed. I watch TV differently, even ads. I remember things from my past and that of my family, and understand them in different ways now, sometimes with embarrassment or horror. I struggle with how to explain this to my children.
All this thinking is tiring. But it is necessary right now, for the safety of my Black brothers and sisters, for our community, and for our future.
Looking harder at the infection of racism in daily life is an act of love, and as followers of Christ we are called to act in love. Here at Holy Comforter, the nine members of the Faith Formation committee recognized that our church community is tired right now, but that there is work for us to do as God’s faithful children. We have designed three separate avenues to respond to our community’s needs, and they will run concurrently this fall. First is Sacred Ground, a curriculum designed by the Episcopal Church to encourage learning and reflection on race. This will be intensive work, but in a supportive environment where the participants grow together in faith around the vital issue of racism. But Jesus knew that we also need food for the journey, so Holy Comforter will also be offering a series on Prayer Practices, because we are all tired and in need of closeness with God. In addition, look out for regular offerings of yoga and mindful movement, and also workshops on journaling and other centering practices. The challenges we face right now are not going away anytime soon, but here at Holy Comforter we want to give you food, water, and companionship on the journey, and a place to rest.
Laura M. Hogan
