I love satire and jokes.  There is nothing funny about a pandemic, yet sometimes we receive a joke, or a satirical remark, and we can see the humor in our situation.  Now, it isn’t funny… There is so much sadness in this scourge; it becomes about losing a loved one, or having a life threatening disease, dying alone, the loss of jobs and income, etc. But there are other aspects that we can find humor in our situation. For example: the stay at home rule.  Personally, I feel like I am in the movie, Groundhog Day. I have check my phone to see what day it is. I don’t know how many remarks I have received that have made me laugh, such as from an elderly couple: “Does anyone have ideas for the perfect murder,(asking for a friend) or the harassed and overwrought Mother, “Is it too soon to tell an 8 year old, ‘You’ve graduated, now get off the wall.” 

I recall, when my Mother died, we were at the funeral home for visitation when I heard my (then) two teenagers laughing from across the room at something they found very funny.  I went over to find out what was so funny. A little back story: I had an Uncle that was a bit eccentric.  His wife, Edith, had died and was cremated.  When he would come to visit after that, his girlfriend, Rose, would be sitting in the back seat of his coupe.  We wondered why she could not sit in the front seat where there was more room. It seemed that he had brought Edith and she was in a small box occupying the front passenger seat. Then when Uncle Herb died, he was also cremated. Back to the laughing teenagers…  My two teenagers were looking at an attractive urn that was sitting on a table.  One of them, and trust me their Mother knows which one, suggested to the other that someone must have brought Uncle Herb to the funeral home. This caused the two of them to laugh uproariously. I must admit that I found that funny and started laughing. I knew my Mother would have laughed too.  We need to grieve, and we also need to laugh.  

We have lost much, from our security in our health to the loss of loved ones, the loss of jobs and income, or simply going to a baseball game or a movie.  We have gained a more relaxed time from sitting outside on a warm day to doing a project that we had been putting off because of a busy schedule, even the challenge of “doing” and “being” the church has been a learning experience and one that will make us better, for some there has been more time as a family.  I am reminded of the lines from Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.

Lord, we ask your blessings upon us. Be with those who mourn, those who have suffered loss, those who are ill and those who are fearful. Remind us that you are with us through this, that you will not abandon us. May we feel your presence in all we do.  We thank you and praise you for the blessings in our lives, for family and loved ones, for shelter and food, for those who reach out to us in our need. For those who make the masks and for those who take them.  Be with our Pastor and bless his ministry and be with his family. Be with our staff as they continue to serve us. Be with those who serve by giving their talents to the services we are privileged to enjoy. We are grateful for all those that lend their talents to bring us your word.  Be with our country may we be as one.  In Jesus name, we pray. Amen

Grace Epperson