Today was a hard day for Christians around the world, as most of us were forced to celebrate the greatest day of our faith in the confines of our homes and without the company of fellow believers.
It’s important to know that before I say more, there are countless Christ followers in our world today, who experience this on a daily basis. They are the isolated believers who have risked all to claim the name of Christ in lands or among communities where other belief systems hold sway. For them, today was different from no other. They worship in solitude, joined only by the Holy Spirit, though lifted up by the prayers of others who know their plight.
For believers who have grown complacent in the privilege of corporate worship, however, today was a shock. After all, what’s Easter without the gathering?
My son and I sat watching, as so many others, the loving face of a pastor, who is also struggling and far from his comfort zone — preaching the Easter sermon to an empty house.
Yet, we do not preach or worship as those without hope — there will be a joyful reunion one day soon of our church family.
As I reflected on that thought, echoing the longing our pastor shared, it came to me that one of the possible lessons from this 2020 Covid-19 pandemic is to increase our longing, not only for our earthly church fellowship, but our heavenly one!
Now we see the church virtually, our earthly fellowship is just a taste of that beautiful fellowship to come in Heaven!
If I’m longing to get back to my church family, how much more should I be longing and looking forward to the day I will be with that joyful reunion of the nations worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face!*
May your yearning for the joyful reunion of your earthly fellowship make your heart long all the more for the heavenly one to come.
Grace and Peace
*1 Corinthians 13:12a (CSB)