Separation Hurts

This Easter Sunday under quarantine has me thinking a lot. Fair warning, I am about to share some of my personal religious beliefs. I totally recognize that not everyone agrees with me and I respect the right of each individual to believe as they do. But, I think maybe some of you are feeling the way I am today and I want to share.

Most years, I spend weeks with my family preparing for and celebrating Easter.  We have a lot of traditions.  Many of them have come from the book Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter by Emily Belle Freemen. Great book. I recommend it. But this year things are different. My family's schedule is busier than ever.  Lots of online meetings and classes, and I'm spending a lot more time cooking and cleaning.

And I feel lost in time.  Know what I mean?  I saw a meme today that says, 2020 is a unique Leap Year.  It has 29 days in February, 300 days in March and 5 years in April.  Yup, sounds about right.  So Easter kinda snuck up on me.  And now, a month in to quarantine, I'm really feeling a desire to see some people beyond the ones I live with.

This morning, our church congregation's choir surprised our congregation with a virtual choir performance.  It was amazing.  I don't know how they pulled it off - I suspect it involved a lot of technical know-how and time.  Our choir is always amazing - not hyperbole, it's truly the best local church choir I've ever seen - but what they did today was just beyond.  My 16 year-old daughter was one of the singers.  I heard her recording her part last week in the bathroom with her cell phone.  I think most of the singers recorded themselves in a similar fashion.  I don't know how someone turned all that into this but they must be a wizard.  Just incredible.  

It really looked and sounded like our choir was all together and performing for us in person.  It was a feast for my hungry soul.  Tears rolled down my cheeks while I watched it.  All those people who I know and love and wish that I could be with.  Singing such beautiful, soothing words.  I realized then, just how hard it is to be separated from people.  Thank goodness I have my family here at home with me.  But it's not enough. It is painful to be separated from everyone else. I've gotten used to it and it won't kill me, but today I was reminded that it's not the way it's supposed to be, and it hurts. 

Then it occurred to me that I have long been separated from my Heavenly Father. I've gotten used to it, but it's not the way it's supposed to be, and it hurts. And that's what Easter is all about. Christ came, atoned for us and rose again so that all the separations could end - so that we could all be reunited with God and any other loved ones we have been separated from.  Today, I really get it.

If you didn't catch the link above go here to watch the virtual choir performance.  So good.  Happy Easter!