What happens when you come down from the spiritual mountain?
How do you re-enter life, community, work?
This is a question that I have sat with all morning. The question was with me as I checked email today, and as read my devotions. It followed me into the sanctuary as I did other work around the church today. . . Often the question is not easy to resolve or address, and that can only make it more challenging the next time the experience happens. How can I focus on anything new when my attention is drawn back to the thing that I just experienced?
As you know, JonMark was home for the last week. Because of covid exposure issues at Edinboro, the campus stopped all in-person activities for 10 days. The ROTC stopped meeting for PT each morning at 5am. The dinning services only served ‘grab-n-go’ meals for the week so that the students would not linger anywhere on campus publicly. So, with that in mind, JonMark made the decision to come home and be with us.
The food is better at home. The bed is softer. . . And let’s be honest, his dog and girlfriend are here too.
It was a great week. He asked if he could cook for us several times. He made chicken parmesan and Baja tacos with me. Together he and Autumn made us a chicken curry with zucchini noodles instead of rice which was delicious. Plus, because he worked at Starbucks, he has some ‘insider’ tricks to make a great cup of coffee with our coffee maker. He helped Emma with some chemistry and math homework without being nagged at.
To top it off, JonMark even did some home repair work with me to fix a couple little things that I had not gotten to. . . yet.
Seeing him sitting with his family in church was a blessing as well. Watching him read the Word of God with Jennifer and follow along in the liturgy at church is a source of blessing to me. I know his faith is strong and will be with him long after he leaves our home.
Then he left. . . He went back last night. In the blink of an eye our home became so quiet. The silence was deafening! At 10:30pm he messaged me and said that he made it home safely. So, just like that, our life returned to normal. I closed the shades in his window and wait until he is home again. Luna’s eyes are sad as she looks for him around the house. She slept with us for a little while instead of her crate. Jennifer and I miss him—and we miss his cooking. Although Emma says that she does not miss him, I can see that she does.
So back to my question, how then do we re-engage our days when the joy of the mountaintop has passed? (Because you and I both know that this joy will pass.)
How do we move from moments where the “Alleluias" of our Christian faith are loud and triumphant and into the Monday’s?
One way, I think is to just acknowledge that what has just passed was indeed wonderful and a blessing. We did have a great week with JonMark and we also knew that it would pass sooner that we wanted. But also while recognizing that what has finished was joyful, do not forget that God is with you. God is paying attention to you and your feelings. God knows that the struggles that are part of your day are real. Do not neglect to take that struggle back to God as you leave the mountaintop and re-enter the normal parts of your day.
I think of a prayer that can be helpful in this work. The prayer goes like this:
"God of compassion and mercy,
If I love thee for hope of heaven,
Then deny me heaven;
If I love thee for fear of hell,
Then give me hell:
But if I love thee for thyself alone,
Then give me thyself alone.”
God is accessible to us. The mountaintop experience does end, but the person and presence of God does not end. And so, we actually never do leave the God behind. Instead we take God with us as we re-engage our day. I wonder how this prayer might take shape and be helpful in your day as you encounter the people of your community?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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