St Patrick's Day and Covid 19

 

  St. Patrick's Day has somehow been overshadowed 

in all realms of the world today by Covid-19.

Somehow rivers dyed green and

Guinness festivities have melted

 into the backstory of the day. 

We are centered on schools closed, 

rising death tolls, and the calamity of

a rocky economy.

Western Christianity often addresses the zones

 of human concern in three levels.

The bottom level deals with factors

 in life that our senses can apprehend.

Here we follow recipes, prepare our taxes, 

mow the lawn, and a 1000 other things.

The top level deals with the ultimate issues

 in life that are beyond what our senses can perceive.

That might include our origins, purpose and destiny.

What melts into the middle level 

are the questions of uncertainty of the near future,

the crisis of present life, and the unknown of the past.

We live with known things 

but much of life is "unpredictable."

So, here we find ourselves today

 dealing with life in the middle level

 and all of the unknown. 

Yet, as Christians, we have the framework that 

transcends the ordinary

 and allows us to live in the extraordinary.

In melding the reality of where we are today,

 I offer the following prayer.

This is a part of the prayer of the community

 that supported the evangelism of St. Patrick

 in Ireland in mid 400 AD.

May this prayer bring a sense

 of comfort in days of unknown.

 Our Heavenly Father is KNOWN,

 and we are KNOWN by HIM.

I arise today through

God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to see before me,

God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me, God's host to secure me – 

against snares of devils,

against temptations and vices,

against inclinations of nature,

against everyone who shall wish me

ill, afar and anear,

alone and in a crowd...

Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left, 

Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,

Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart

 of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me, 

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Salvation is of the Lord.

Salvation is of the Lord.

Salvation is of the Christ.

May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

    Amen.

(Thanks to LCMS District President Rev. Tony Steinbronn 
for some of the thought focus for today's blog post.)