Alka's Angle

I am listening to NPR! People are invited to call in and share their memories from 10 years ago today -- when heavy snow was dumped in the area and most parts of the state sat in standstill for days. Cars stalled on LSDrive and thousands of people were left without power for days. Reporters called it “Snowmageddon.” They speak of it -- because today marks 10 years, and because, while it is beautiful and sunny in the neighborhood right now, more snow is on the way for us this weekend. This is expected for Chicago in winter. We prepare for the conditions to protect ourselves from them. I hope you have! Another condition that our country has been dealing with for a long time is racism and the current state of our country has brought it to the surface in a brutal way. 

I am sure most of you know the United Methodist Church did not have its scheduled General (where polity decisions are made) and Jurisdictional (where Bishops are elected and assigned) Conferences in 2020 due to COVID. Because of that, we did not elect or assign Bishops, however, some Bishops were planning to retire.

10 months! On March 15, 2020, we had our first zoom worship! 10 months have passed! And even though we know the end is on the horizon, it is not here quite yet -- so for a little longer, we will need to stay put and do the best with what we have! I invite us to be intentional in checking on our friends, family members and neighbors. Every human being is living with some level of stress and challenges in these days. Be gentle with folk, especially those who serve you and help you. 

We all were anxiously waiting for the year 2020 to end and 2021 to kick in -- hoping and wishing that overnight things will change, and the world will be different, even though we knew in our heads that it was far from reality! When I wished that, I was primarily thinking in terms of the viral pandemic, since we had started hearing reports of the vaccine becoming a reality and the possibility of lay persons like us getting them, seemed closer. However, the first week of 2021 has already reminded me of the world we live in. Yes -- I am specifically speaking of what we experienced this past Wednesday! (if this might be a trigger for you -- feel free to stop reading now! 

Well, what a year! I wonder how history will narrate this year to the generations to come? Even though I know history is generally narrated by the victor -- so it mostly is written from that perspective -- but who will be the victor in this narrative? The virus? The vaccine? The people? Time will tell but I wanted us to take a moment to reflect on what this year has meant for us as a congregation, and as people: