A Coronavirus Prayer

A Coronavirus Prayer

-Written while praying for Ellen who is hospitalized in New York City with COVID-19, and reflecting on John 11

Looking at the world through eyes of compassion

Heart open wide to embrace what is broken

Seeing the beauty, tragedy, hope

Your beloved one is sick

Eyes welling up with tears

streaming down

growing puffy and red

How many days with the fever?

Chest tight, dry cough, struggle to breathe?

Weak, oxygen low

It’s time to admit

To the hospital

To the fear

To the loneliness

To the helplessness

To the desperate need for you

Yes, you wept

Wept with your friends

“See how you love her”

“See how you love him”

Every time I hear the word ventilator 

I will weep with you

Weary from sorrow

Heart strained by love

This will be my prayer

Sharing your heart

Tender compassion

© Dale Gish 2020. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Rogier van der Weyden -Descent From The Cross

In Everything (including Coronavirus) Turn Towards Jesus

In everything (including Coronavirus) turn towards Jesus.

The Lord’s deep desire for us is that we receive his love. God is always looking upon each of us personally with a loving gaze, and we are invited to return his gaze and receive his love. So many things in our lives and in our world are broken (such as Coronavirus), not as God intends. But God is always at work, seeking redemption, bringing good out of evil. 

Jesus meets us right where we are. There is no need to be somewhere else in order to receive him. Often the first step in his redemption, in the midst of the brokenness and pain is that we turn towards Jesus and his love. Perhaps nothing in our situation has materially changed except we now notice his presence, experience his loving care. We are not alone. Jesus is right there with us and that changes everything. 

But where are we? Sometimes before we can know his presence with us we have to acknowledge the reality of where we are. We may be too busy reacting to or avoiding what we are facing that we can’t be present to the reality of our situation and to the Lord’s presence with us in that place. So where are you right now? What are you facing? What is your situation? 

Right now the Coronavirus may be a significant part of your situation. Are you sick? Are you afraid? Are you worried about your elderly parents? Has your kids’ school been closed? Is your job or your business at risk or your retirement plan evaporating? Are you separated from loved ones? Is your church canceling services or changing how it operates? Has your vacation been canceled or are you self quarantined in your house? Does it feel like the world is falling apart? Where are you?

As a spiritual director I want to encourage you. Here and now, right where you are, turn towards Jesus and welcome his loving presence. Let him meet you in the very place that you are. That’s the first step in what Jesus wants to do in your situation, whether that situation is Coronavirus or something else. And keep turning towards him. How will he care for you? What will he invite you to do in response? Where does he call you to love and serve? How will he involve you in his redemptive work in this world? Stay connected, always turning to him in whatever situation you are in.

Thank you, Asian American Christians!

When I cough in public no one pays any attention. But I have Asian American friends who experience people glaring at them when they cough. While the COVID-19 outbreak began in China, here in the US, I suspect people should probably be more concerned about a white guy like me than an Asian American. This racial stigmatizing is so terribly wrong and worthy of its own post. But this is not my primary point today. 

Today I want to say thank you to Asian American Christians who are leading the way to respond to this virus. In my sphere of life, the people I experience responding well, helping us be safer are primarily Christian Asian Americans.

At my church, a Korean American doctor is leading our response to COVID-19, to help keep others safe, and no, I couldn’t go to worship this week with my cough, and that was the right call. At my work, the Christian Chinese American founder of our company has us all working from home to keep others safe. And I watched a wonderful event held last night led by Daniel Chin, and a panel of primarily Asian American Christians in Seattle showing us the way for us to respond as Christians to COVID-19. 

So I want to say, Thank You! I will not glare at you. I will smile and be grateful for the good gifts God has given all of us in you. I see you. You are leading all of us, caring for all of us, helping us all be Christ-like and love our neighbors.
If you want to watch this helpful presentation by Daniel Chin and church leaders on the front lines in Seattle, here is the link. https://youtu.be/FuwBsHjOxgE