Pass the Plate
On Thursday afternoon, I was enjoying a virtual gathering with a fabulous team I dearly love. We have always been a virtual team, so this was actually normal for us. In fact, this was a gathering we had scheduled a while back just to get together and hang out for a little while. This week, it was a release and time with friends that was needed more than ever. After we each shared what we had on hand currently to make s'mores during quarantine, our leader asked each of us for one word to describe our week and one word to describe how we were currently feeling. My words were normal and hopeful.
Normal because I have homeschooled my son this year, so other than my daughter doing school here at home, not much is different about our days. I was feeling pretty good about having a routine.
Hopeful because I had read countless stories all week in my news and social media feeds about all the ways people had reached out to help and support one another in the last week - generosity of spirit I hadn’t seen in the longest time.
As a believer in Christ, I have passed the offering plate all my life - making a pledge to give back to the church a measure of what Christ has given to me, and honoring that pledge. This week, I have seen the “offering plates”, if you will, across our world transform. Rather than being a physical plate that we input our financial contributions into, our plate this week has been our hands and our hearts. People all over have been the church and offered ourselves - each person sharing his or her gifts with the world and also being able to unapologetically take what they need that is freely given by others. COVID-19 has taken quite a bit from us - our sense of normalcy and routine, physical connection and freedom. The human spirit, however, seems to be immune.
As we continue passing the plate, what are you able to give? What do you need to take?
