Covid Part 3: It's propelling us forward and holding us back.

Covid Part 3: It’s propelling us forward and holding us back. 

Unprecedented is the word I keep hearing, and it’s true. We’re not going to know the impact of all of this until many years later. At this point in our journey, we are still within the 2 weeks of social distancing, not meeting with one another in groups of more than 10. 

It’s propelling us forward in ways that many of us, especially old school workers and thinkers, have been opposed to. Technology, remote work, online education, even Bible studies and small groups happening online. It’s literally shooting us forward in the use of all of this bandwidth at a super duper fast rate. People will adapt new habits and will see things with new eyes : they’ll embrace things they’ve resisted, or they’ll be forced to embrace it.

This is going to be incredibly stressful for some people. This is going to be  a sigh of relief for others. Whatever it is to you, it’s happening fast, and I don't think we’re going to ever go back to the old way of doing things. 

What impact will this have on our education system? Our work? Our churches? 

Because while it’s propelling us forward in technology and new opportunities, it’s holding us back in our relationships. I heard my friend Katelyn say the other day, “I just miss being around people in Chipotle. I never knew how much I took that for granted.” My deepest hope is that this social distancing actually connects us and shows us the need we have for each other. I’ve seen more neighbors out on our streets and have had longer conversations with them this week than any other week since we’ve lived here the past almost-2 years. I think we’re feeling a little lonely. We need each other. And while this temporary set back has been lonely and challenging, I’m hoping that ultimately, it shows us how much we really need each other.