Welcome to the Monday Mailing #7
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:10-11
Some of the Biblical translations offer these words for the start of verse ten: Stop your fighting. . .cease striving. . .be still.
We start our eighth week of being still. . .and most of us would suggest that it hasn’t gotten any easier. I confessed to some that last week, mathematics failed me. For whatever reason, I could not multiply the correct number of weeks, by the correct number of days in a week (I know that is seven. . .and on the Sabbath we rest). . .I kept coming up with 35, instead of the correct 42. . .and I knew we’d been at this being still for longer than 35 days. Not to worry, I got my math corrected after a nap. Today is day 50. And while I would never suggest that God is causing this pandemic to teach us a lesson, I think we would be terribly foolish not to actually learn something during these days.
Fighting –striving– gets our reptilian brain working overtime. That is the fight or flight center of our brain. . .that leftover piece from when it was me against you in daily life. . .when survival of the fittest was the rule of the day. Once we realized that we together worked better for us all, the reptilian brain began to grow smaller. But it is still there, and fear and panic feed that reptilian brain, and we make poor choices in life. As singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffet once wrote about a tattoo – a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.
So, be still, stop fighting, cease striving for a while. Give the rest of your brain time to relax and enjoy the life we do have. Do things which help your household cease striving. Remind one another to be still. Look for God amongst us, even now.
Peace be with you!
Pastor Janice