What does life look like in the new normal? Forgetting for a moment that life is a constant sea of change and doesn’t go backward, will we ever feel like life is back to normal again?
We come to the end of our series, Risen, on May 24, and begin a new series titled simply, Live. Our pronunciation and emphasis differ depending on whether you read this title as a verb or an adjective. It’s both in this case.
Will simple “open” signs become a nostalgic memory that we share with our grandchildren? “I remember when there was a time that people greeted each other with a hug.” “Really,” granddad, “Weren’t they afraid of getting sick?”
For most of us, there was always an idea of personal space around us. Persons coming too close crossed a line that set off alarms of an invasion of this space. Has this buffer zone increased to at least six feet, except for persons living under the same roof? Is this life in the new normal?
And then there is the protest. Persons standing up for individual freedoms using firearms to intimidate onlookers. Are they really suggesting that they will take another person’s life over a disagreement on how far away I want them to stand? How about a million miles? Otherwise, my individual freedom to feel safe is under attack.
God sent me to the Gospel of Matthew for our theme where Jesus described what it means to live in the kingdom of God. Answering what the kingdom of heaven is like, Jesus tells a story. Didn’t He always tell a story to answer our questions?
What if we rephrase the question of how to reopen our country, our bars, and our shopping malls with a different question? What is it like to live in the kingdom of heaven? What should the new normal look like? How do we get there?
If you miss signing on for our conversation on Sunday, May 24, be sure to check out the video on our Facebook page. We end our series, titled Risen, with this story told by Jesus to answer this question. What is it like to live in the kingdom of heaven?
While we are working on answering the question of reopening, why not include the new normal that Jesus shared with His followers. Leave the weapons at home. While you are invited you have the freedom to choose not to come.
I pray that you will join us each Sunday morning at 10:30 am. We plan to be live via webinar, through Facebook live, or you can call (929) 436-2866 and enter the meeting number — 324 841 204. We go live at 10:30 am. You can find these links along with more information about us on our website at FlintAsbury.org.
Pastor Tommy