social distancing Archives - Being Me, Myself.

By Ife J. Ibitayo

I recently reread the story of Noah, and the remarkable parallels between his situation and ours amazed me. I’ve learned three useful lessons from Noah’s response to his challenging circumstances.

Background

Noah lived in a time of great wickedness on the earth. Humanity had grown so corrupt that God decided to wipe out every living creature (Genesis 6:5-7)! However, God chose to save Noah, his family and a pair of every living creature (Genesis 6:18-19). He commanded Noah to build an ark for this purpose, and shortly after he completed it, the Lord sent a flood on the earth.

Watch Willingly

Just like us, Noah and his family were also trapped in a closed environment for an extended period of time. According to the Biblical account, their isolation lasted over a year (Genesis 7:11, Genesis 8:14)! Noah’s first recorded response to this crisis was to measure how his situation was progressing. He repeatedly sent out birds to gauge how quickly the flood was subsiding from the earth (Genesis 8:6-12).

It can be tempting to bury our heads in the sand and insulate ourselves until this pandemic blows over. But someday we will return to work, our kids will return to school, and many aspects of life will return to normal. If we have no idea when that will occur, we will not be able to restart effectively.

Wait Patiently

On the first day of the year following the flood, Noah removed the roof of the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry (Genesis 8:13). I expected him to immediately open wide the floodgates and spill out of the ark, family in tow. But he waited two more months before he finally left (Genesis 8:14).

Our economy is crashing, our savings are tanking, and our plans are crumpling in our grasps. We may be tempted to disregard government regulations during this stressful time. But just as disastrous as Noah leaving the ark when only the top of the ground was dry would have been, so too will be the consequences of breaking social distancing guidelines before health professionals advise us to.

Worship Readily

Lastly, Noah built an altar and worshiped God as soon as he left the ark (Genesis 8:20). This may sound counterintuitive. Why worship a God who allowed such a calamity to happen in the first place?

Having a job during this season of rampant unemployment, possessing savings to stave off need, or receiving a stimulus check from the government are all good gifts from God (James 1:17). Though we may not know why He allowed this tragedy in the first place, His provision up until today is certainly worthy of praise.

Conclusion

At the very end of this story, God tells Noah, “I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life” (Genesis 9:13-15 NIV).

Every time storm clouds gather overhead, we know the clouds will eventually part. The sun will shine down on us again, and a rainbow will streak the sky. Just as God sees us through every literal storm, He will also see us through this figurative one.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”

(Psalm 42: 11 ESV)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

I had envisioned graduate school would be a much needed fresh start after my exhausting senior year of undergrad. I’d take informative classes, conduct exciting research, and form lasting friendships. But the reality was far less glamorous than I had imagined.

I found myself slaving away at a project that was six months behind schedule. I also formed connections a lot slower than I thought I would. During my first year of graduate school, I felt crushingly alone.

The Source of Loneliness

I think that all loneliness stems from a sense of distance. The distance can be physical, such as geographical separation or different waking hours, or it can be emotional. A season when you feel harried and harassed while everyone else seems carefree and relaxed, for instance, can be a source of loneliness.

The opposite of loneliness is togetherness, a feeling of “affectionate closeness” [thesaurus.com]. Initiating connection, checking up on an old friend or grabbing lunch with an acquaintance, cultivates togetherness, but this principle might ring a bit hollow during the middle of a pandemic. Are we doomed to suffer alone because our government mandates we stay apart?

The Solution to Loneliness

From the beginning of the New Testament, the author of the book of Matthew speaks of Jesus as “Emmanuel”, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). I envy the disciples who walked the earth with Jesus Christ. They saw, heard, and touched God in the flesh. It’s hard to imagine they doubted that God was really with them!

But right before Jesus left the earth, he spoke of sending his disciples a helper “who would be with them forever” (John 14:16 ESV). This helper is the Holy Spirit, and God gives Him to all believers (Galatians 4:6).

Alone Together

The modern church does not emphasize the Holy Spirit as it once used to, leaving the concept unfamiliar or even creepy to many people. But He is the ultimate manifestation of God with us today. God was not satisfied with looking down on us from above or even walking beside us here on earth. He decided that His chief residence after the resurrection would be within each of us. This means that no matter what we’re going through or where we are, He is still with us.

The one thing that kept me going through my lonely first year of graduate school was the closeness of God. As I spent days turning wrenches and nights crying out to my heavenly Father, I experienced the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit within me. He was an ever-present friend in the absence of community, and during this pandemic, as I find myself alone once more, He is still with me.

Conclusion

If you are struggling with loneliness during this season, know that the Holy Spirit “can be the friend that sticks closer to you than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 ESV). Maybe social distancing was just the space God needed to draw near to you.

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:5 ESV