Spirit's Pavilion 3

The Pandemic days of 2020 had been hard. The early days had eyes and ears glued to daily, hourly news reports of rising Covid numbers and deaths started multiplying. The Italy's of the world were being ravaged with death and sickness. The unknowing of whether we would experience the same was gnawing. We were thinking about it inside. "Is this really going to be a big thing?" Night by night the recap of the day seemed to become more and more intricate. It started to feel uncomfortable internally. "Why won't this just go away?" "Are we really going to start closing everything down?" It was hard. Harder than we cared to imagine or admit. Our lives were changing. It was uncomfortable. An uncomfortable world. An uncomfortable America. Different.

In a relatively short period of time, the world was collectively suffering in a new, particular way. Certainly, suffering was happening prior to the Pandemic of '20, but those new moments of suffering were unique. The world is certainly connected. The interweb seems available even to the poorest of the poor on dirt floors among cardboard walls with cell phone in hand. The world is certainly no stranger to suffering. Pockets of suffering out of Eden exist everywhere. But the Pandemic suffering of '20 was new. The 1918 Pandemic was not in the interweb age. It would take time for folks to learn of the death devastation happening around the globe. Within days of the onset of the Pandemic of '20 there was a Covid death dashboard up on the interweb tallying deaths and cases in real time. Click. Click. Click. There was quickly a suffering gasp around the world. A few nooks were untouched early, but a slow steady spread of suffering seeped around the earth. And it lingered and lingered and became not so new anymore. Even suffering gets stale at times.

Closed.

Much closed accept for necessities. Life for the homeless continued in rhythm. Life for those with homes changed. People went home. Hmmm. People went home. Bars, restaurants, schools, churches, businesses, government, sports, entertainment closed. It was surreal. So much shifting in such a short period of time. The suffering continued, Covid and living. Cases spreading, bodies piling, jobs lost, businesses ended, churches empty, crops spoiling, government scrambling in confusion, balls lay still. And home became "base" to view the suffering and change. There was the reality of being home and all the myriad of stories there. Thriving. Suffering.

March, April, May, June, July, August. Half a year. Not slight. Not simple. Lingering on in odd days, slipping into new normalcy. Masks, death, inconvenience, uncomfortable. Wondering about and waiting for spreading while seeking to live daily life as real and normal as possible, longing for normal to be the real again. Masks hanging on rear view mirrors and tucked in back pockets. Roped off rows at churches and schools and ball games. Meals in outdoor seating areas. Government resuming its chaos. And then, people left home again. Dispersing out into a world of ongoing suffering, emerging into an ongoing Pandemic.

The people at the Bible church on Signal have lived this story in unison with the world. This was their story too. After months of empty seats, a slow return began. Such a sweet gift to hear a few singing voices together in a familiar place. And her students. What a journey this was for her students. Seniors losing senior year things. Ballers losing seasons. Friendships losing face to face and gaining more screens. Finally, after a full half-year, hints of gathering together again face to face, mask to mask. Place 37,219 was cleared as the re-entry spot for the students of the Bible church. This airy, outdoor spot was ideal for their reunion. What a lovely spot to re-gather again after this slow, uncomfortable span.

It was wonderful just like they imagined. Night one brought bright, vibrant, masked faces to place 37,219. Such a sweet gift to hear their muffled voices, listen to them laugh while they played, open God's words with them again and watch some dance with a seeming pure joy as the night ended and folks trailed out of the Pavilion with a gladness of getting to be together. And this was the simple, enjoyable pattern for a month of weeks as they began again.....

until.....

There's more.