By Fr. Nigel Barrett
The ‘New Normal’ is a term many of us may be hearing in all spheres of life, including our Faith and the Church. What will things be like when life resumes, churches open and faith is celebrated in public spaces? Equally significant is what will shape or determine our ‘new normal’.
As you listen to commentators and pundits, it’s easy to be concerned that the ‘new normal’ is more like a new ‘abnormal’ and it need not necessarily be for the better. Possibilities of a Corona recurrence, continuing Economic Distress, and Societal Stress is an ongoing reality that we will all have to deal with.
We are in a liminal season, stuck between an ending and a new beginning. The pathway forward is not knowable. The way we “did church” just four months ago has changed in a way we never could have imagined. We have literally been thrown out of kilter by a microscopic and invasive organism, and it’s not science fiction! We can reassure people (and ourselves) by pretending the disruption is temporary saying, “we will resume all normal activity soon.” That reassurance is not helpful or truthful.
No one knows what normal will look like after lockdown is lifted and Church spaces are opened for worship. We may resume many familiar things, but congregational life will not be the same. There will be disorientation and confusion, grief and loss but hopefully, also remembered and renewed joy.
In the midst of this crisis, we recall that last Sunday we celebrated Faith Formation Sunday (a true celebration of our Faith in Christ as we make our own that declaration of Faith of St. Thomas: “My Lord and by God”). Every Sunday we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection! We are an Easter people! And every Eucharist is a call to embrace “resurrection reality” as the guiding grace that shapes our new normal!
Our reassurance comes not in the form of baseless predictions or happy talk, rather it comes from the pages of Scripture. God has done some pretty amazing things during very similar liminal Biblical times.
Abram left the familiar comforts of his own land and family to follow God’s call and promises of a new land and destiny for him and his descendants. This journey was by faith, accomplished by God’s provision and accompanied by various trials. Joseph waited, forgotten and imprisoned, but was being prepared for his rise to great responsibility and authority in Pharaoh’s court. The Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land. Daniel was taken from his home in Judah by an enemy power but in the exile of Babylon became the steadfast witness of the greatest power… the living God who stands forever and whose kingship is indestructible. Mary, Joseph, the disciples, Paul, these all experienced profound seasons of sudden and disorienting change, but God used the interruptions to normal life to prepare each for something far greater than any of them had ever imagined.
God transforms lives and always for the better, though we may not be able to see it from our perspective. Looked at positively, this period of our lives has given us choices we might not otherwise have considered: acquisition of new skills, outreach to friends we that haven’t been in touch with for years, the mending of broken relationships, changes in patterns and routines of work, spending, and frenetic activities. Some things that were unsustainable and were slowly killing us, have been disrupted.
What might be possible now that we have been freed to follow a fresh leading from God?
God transforms lives no matter the circumstances. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Jesus Christ is also the pre-eminent example of what it means to consistently follow the fresh leading of God, no matter the circumstances… even to the point of death, death on a cross. And the reality of the Resurrection is God’s full validation of everything Jesus has shown us and taught us. Jesus Christ is our hope through this pandemic, through this liminal season, through this journey to the new normal, whatever the new normal may be.
In our faith, we have a term for a life shaped by Resurrection. The word is “Godliness”. “Godliness” is a good word! It’s good because it begins with “God” and God is good. Godliness is about working God’s goodwill and God’s good ways into our will and ways. It’s about God’s goodwill and good ways bringing healing and wholeness, well-being and strength into our daily living.
Godliness is a comprehensive word. God’s healing and wholeness, well-being and strength will bless all facets of our lives: Body, Mind, Heart, Soul, Home, Church, and Community! Scripture challenges us to build this blessing into our lives, and Paul’s advice to Timothy is priceless: “Train yourself in godliness.” It’s a call to a bootcamp in spirituality, a becoming “Fit in Faith” invitation.
Here are 5 important areas.
Surrender
To surrender is to yield. To surrender does not mean giving up or giving in. We accept this moment as “just where we need to be.” We lean into the disorientation and trust the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Striving, rather than surrender, was the mood of at the time of the Lockdown in March. Measures were taken by the Government and the church to protect people and find and adapt our way. Through hard work and determination, we figured out how to put Church online. We toiled to demonstrate our care for people when we could not be physically present with them, through phone calls and other means to connect with those in need.
This next phase of the unlocking of the country is a time of adaptive learning. Learning begins with surrender: “I acknowledge that I don’t have answers. I yield my spirit to God’s leading and invite my community, my Parish my church to do the same.”
Use the Disorientation
The pandemic has thrown us into deep disorientation. One foot is rooted in something trying to end, another is planted in a thing yet to be defined. We cling to structures, identities and relationships of yesterday, even though those processes and practices may not serve us adequately tomorrow. We need to take advantage of this moment to let the unnecessary things die, and to experiment, take risks and learn.
Invite ‘Meaning-Making’
Humans cannot live without meaning. People grapple with the deep questions of our faith. Where is God when people are suffering? Why are we here? Is God punishing the world? This is the time when we can sharpen the theological edge and shape these conversations. Connect with Online Faith Formation to cover all aspects of life, and strive to give existential meaning and purpose that makes us see beyond our here and now. It’s an invitation to ask questions that will improve the quality of life and relationships.
Define One Good Next Step
People need to know that they are pursuing something that matters now: worthy work, a shared common cause, or a sense of rootedness to something enduring. This is especially important now, when we can’t plan our next steps in one, three, and five-year increments. Who knows what tomorrow will bring in this environment? So, what are the steps we take to strengthen our faith, to open our Churches, to provide skills and networks to help people who have lost their livelihood due to this pandemic? The answers lie with you, especially if you make this common conversation and brainstorm with others – yes, even from a distance!
Attend to the Yearning
Rational decision making assumes that human knowledge is enough to address the challenges we face. Rational decisions can’t guide us through the deep disorientation we face now. Instead, we need to pay attention to ‘yearning’. Yearning is the language of the human soul. Letting go of what once was, we let ourselves be led by God who is drawing us forward and into our future.
Discernment is the tool we use to attend the yearning. It’s a wisdom way of knowing. We drop rational decision making, and step directly into the knowing planted in our souls.
What is God calling us to do or become next?
And so, let us pray for each other. Keep well. Stay safe. Keep the Faith.
The five steps are taken from https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/finding-our-new-normal/
Fr. Nigel Barrett is a diocesan priest with Archdiocese of Bombay serving in Holy Name Cathedral. He has done his doctorate in communication from Trinity college and currently heads Archdiocese of Bombay Catholic Communication Centre which is the media hub of the Archdiocese. His aim is to spread the faith through the digital space.