by Pam Tinsley

In a recent post, fellow blogger Demi Prentiss shared the challenges that many of us are experiencing as we adhere to stay-at-home orders, which are intended to keep others safe by protecting them from the spread of coronavirus. Staying at home to serve others feels so counter-intuitive when Christ’s mission field is outside the walls of our churches – and outside the walls of our homes.

Yet, it is absolutely possible to be the hands and feet of Christ in the midst of a pandemic, as my fellow parishioner, John Cain, wrote in an April 9 letter to the Tacoma News Tribune. He describes that “a tavern gifted hamburgers and cheeseburger sandwiches to every tenant in a nearby apartment complex. A friend who likes to grill gives away food to children and families who are in need. Phone calls to friends are far more rewarding than Facebook posts…. It is the quiet acts of generosity that will sustain us in the long run.”

Over the past month or so, I’ve also been inspired by many responses to Jesus’ love in action, when I see people reach out to those will become increasingly isolated as stay-at-home orders remain in place at least through May 4. Neighborhood groups, such as Nextdoor, seek to connect people and share resources for emergency public alerts and assistance. With schools closed, teenagers are offering their babysitting services to parents who have essential jobs. Individuals are picking up extra groceries for quarantined or high-risk neighbors. And, on Good Friday, a moving parade of first-responders in firetrucks, ambulances, and police vehicles saluted a local hospital’s Emergency Department to thank health-care workers on the front lines – with blaring sirens!

By embracing this spirit of sacrifice – rather than succumbing to fear or scarcity-induced hoarding – we, as Christ’s disciples, can show the world that we are Christ’s hands and feet in the world – and that all people and relationships matter. As my friend John concludes, “How we handle this crisis and how we reach out to others will sustain us not only now but in the future.”