It has been widely acknowledged how the Coronavirus pandemic has changed our daily lives. For many Covid-19 has made life less frenzied, it has led society to seek answers to the bigger questions of life; and some individuals have used this time to reflect on the spiritual aspect of our being, and how this is related to the search for meaning and purpose. Recent research revealed that more Irish people connected with the Church during the period of Covid restrictions than prior to the outbreak of the virus. A nationwide survey called “Coronavirus, Church and You” facilitated by the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education (MDCCE) at Dublin City University, showed that 63 per cent of respondents accessed church services online during the period of lockdown, this was compared with 37 per cent of respondents who said they attended church at least weekly prior to the lockdown.
The new reality of Covid-19 has certainly changed the pace of life, and this has helped Christians to make more space to pray and reflect, and to reconnect with the community which the Church provides, even online. I was recently reminded of an inspirational quote “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass…it is about learning how to dance in the rain.” This prompted me to think of a scripture quotation from the Bible in which God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah, reminding his people that He is always with them in times of trouble, “I have loved you with an everlasting love and so I still maintain my faithful love for you” (Jeremiah 31:3). Even though life is not always easy, and storms and trials may come, God is still present in the chaos, and God hears our prayers.
I find that faith is grounding, and that it makes it easier to live in the present moment, seeing each new day as a gift from God, the Creator and Maker of all things. Looking through the lens of faith can help to nurture gratitude, and strengthen the ability to let the past go, and to begin again. Embracing forgiveness – both a Christian virtue and psychological concept, can make it easier to make a fresh start. Holding onto the past on the other hand, with its difficulties or struggles, often leads to over thinking and over stressing. This negates one’s ability to live in the present moment and drains emotional energy, whereas the action of forgiveness can accelerate the process of healing, and help a person to move on – to accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.
To ‘let go and let God’ can not only be an act of faith, but a source of interior freedom and peace. Rather than dwelling on the past, it can refreshing and renewing to start afresh – to live in the present and focus on the simple blessings of life:- the joy of spending time with friends and family, using our gifts and talents, and doing things we love; while looking forward to the hopes of tomorrow. For me I am always struck by the serene sense of letting go that I experience by running in solitude. The God-given gift of running is grounding, and I always find that it offers me a place of inner peace and prayer in which I can leave the past behind, and make a renewed decision to live in the moment through the lens of faith – with an attitude of gratitude for each new day that offers the opportunity to begin again.
