A Letter From a Social Distance

It has been almost 2 years since I posted here - originally I started this blog to share about my first trip to South Africa, but at the time I had hopes of posting about more than just that.  That trip came and went - and I shared almost every day of the trip but then life went back to normal.  A week or two passed - I caught up on sleep, got back into the routine, but the blog didn't become part of that.  Now it has been two years - I even went back to South Africa - and yet I haven't posted anything to this blog. 

Enter the coronavirus and everyone's new favorite phrase "social distancing".  What do you do when you feel called to a be a "Family Together" and yet you can't be together?  The answer is you go old school and get technical at the same time.  The majority of the New Testament - the revelation of God's word to His people - the Church - are letters.  They are words of encouragement, instruction and insight written by someone who could not be with them in person, but who still desired to maintain connection and relationship - to be Family Together. 

I don't know what is going to happen over the next few weeks. As our church like many others makes changes to our regular schedule - we are all hoping for the best.  In fact, as I am writing this a notification popped up that the FDA has approved use of a malaria treatment that has shown good results against this virus.  But whether that or something else changes the course of this virus and the tension and anxiety around us - I want to use this space to encourage you, to remind you of what an amazing God we have, to share some Life Together with you, and continue to be a Family Together, even from a "social distance".  No matter what is happening in the world around us, no matter what happens to us - God is still God.  He hasn't changed.  As my favorite minor prophet Habakkuk says (3:17-18) "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Be joyful - stick together (from a distance) - and remember that God is still our Savior.
Love you guys - see you soon.