One year ago, I was surrounded by ministers who affirmed my journey to have dual recognition of my Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ordination in the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ. It was also the day, we told family and friends about our new arrival who was on the way!
It seems like just yesterday we were able to celebrate together after a four-year long journey interrupted by COVID and pandemic living that was supposed to take a year. I know I’m not alone in sharing a story of something so monumental being interrupted because of the unexpected intrusion of COVID.
And it would be easy not to look back. It would be easy to keep moving on and saying my installation as Pastor was a culmination of a long journey and we celebrated and moved on. But when we don’t look back at the ways we have pieced life back together after a pandemic, we risk missing out on the opportunity to have gratitude for the chance to rebuild and recreate church and community.
We can’t approach life the same ways we did before COVID. We can’t look at the world the same way. We have to look through the lens of the grief, the fear, and the uncertainty that followed us all into the dark hours of the night not knowing what the morning light would bring. If we don’t look back, we can’t look forward to what is to come and recognize that it is indeed a miracle to be here now.