Combating Panic and Worry

Last week I wrote about annual meetings, a typical place where people’s anxiety about the future rears its head.. Deficit budgets, perceived lack of accountability or transparency, and dwindling numbers of those in younger generations can all incite worry.

Before the service last Sunday I was asked if we would still be passing the peace because of the Corona virus. I said an emphatic yes, and said the same to the congregation. We would share the words of the peace and if people didn’t want physical contact for any reason they could hold up a 2 finger peace sign or wave or clasp their hands in front of them. To forego one of the most energy and joy filled moments in the service was not an option for me, flu outbreak or not. I’m very aware that for some people it’s the only hug or handshake they get all week.

We are tempted, especially with constant breaking news about new cases of Covid-19 here and around the globe, to jump on the panic wagon. So many people already have, buying out hand sanitizer and toilet paper and face masks when their risk of exposure is very low and meanwhile leaving health professionals on the front lines without needed protection. Hysteria has been used to justify racism and boycotting of Chinese restaurants. It has caused people to lose their ability to respond in a rational way.

It may seem really tough to heed Jesus’ words to consider the lilies of the field (see Matthew 6:25-34) that just are, without working or worrying like we do, and that are beautiful and well taken care of by God. How much more does God take care of us and provide for us, Jesus asks. And it’s funny that no matter how much privilege we have in terms of wealth, education, being white and English speaking, we still can so easily feel hard done by and owed and worthy of accumulating more.

In this Lenten season, I’m trying to go back to spiritual practices that ground me and I’m encouraging my congregation to do the same. While fasting made our kids think about moving quickly, ironically fasting is about slowing down and taking in God more intentionally, whether by eating less or doing less or owning less or perhaps even worrying less. Spending more time with God can ease anxiety, remind us of Whose we are and how blessed we are, and offer divine perspective.

Speaking of blessings, in a culture and economy that strives to convince us of how much we are missing out on and need to buy in order to be happy, we combat panic and worry by not listening to those voices or giving them power over us but in recognizing just how rich our lives are. When we make God’s Word and God’s voice louder and more present, then we remember that our names are inscribed in the palms of the very hands of the Almighty. Nothing happens to us that God doesn’t know about, and in life and death we are held close thanks to the cross.

I know people who hold up their constant anxiety or worry as a badge of honour. They feel that it somehow shows their depth of caring or concern. But in reality it is a drain of energy, and says that they don’t trust in God. If they did, they would be able to pray and hand over the concern believing that God can handle it in the best possible way. Now, I know this is easier said than done. I can do my fair share of over-thinking and worrying and assuming I need to be the one to fix the issues around me. But the more I learn to loosen my grip on those things that keep me up at night, the more rest and clarity of thought I have to address them instead of being stuck in a rut of worry.

We will be challenged as the Covid-19 crisis likely becomes an epidemic to not jump even more on the panic wagon. It’s a hot story that won’t go away. We will be challenged to not ignore this but to hand the worry over to God even as we struggle to make wise choices. Many churches with financial or other big issues will be challenged not to maintain status quo with heads in the sand or to wring their hands or throw up their hands in abdication.

I believe that God calls us to fast from worry and anxiety as much as we can because God is God. When we feel fear, as I read on a facebook post years ago, we have two options - Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. We are faithful when we remember and live believing that God is always faithful. We have so much to be thankful for and so many blessings to help us through whatever problems we face.

May we continue to trust in the One who spoke and stopped the waves and the wind and saved us.