The New Post-Covid Normal?

My phone rang, and I answered it, “Hello?” I knew his voice the instant I heard it. It was Alan, my cousin. We hadn’t talked for quite some time, but we visited for almost an hour before we ended. When I put the phone down, I felt warm all over, and realized just how precious it has become to talk with people during this time of “social isolation.” My relationships with people have become more important than most other things.

Later that day, with some time to spare, I picked up my Bible and sat down to hear God’s Word. It was quiet. My mind wasn’t racing with long to-do lists—to the contrary, it was clear, and I was undistracted: I was in “listening” mode. Scripture that afternoon spoke to me so much louder than six months ago, when everything was bustling. I had heard God in that quiet.

As I placed the Bible back in its place, I glanced out the window—and stopped in my tracks. The sky was a color of blue I had only seen in a few places on earth: this beautiful, soft baby-blue, mixed with lily-white clouds gleaming in the sunshine. I just stood and gazed, taking in the beauty. Later, I learned why the sky was so blue. I read that airline flights are down by 75%, that auto traffic is down by 40%, oil consumption is down, and that coal use is down by almost half. On the other hand, solar electric generation has increased greatly over the past several months. The result: the air is simply clearer. That explained this ultra-blue sky! The planet is happier and healthier.

I sat down in a chair by the window, to gaze out the window at this beautiful sky. A fleeting thought crossed my mind. “Wouldn’t it be nice if I had that package of software?” Months ago, I would likely have instantly made a few clicks and ordered it—at a cost of several hundred dollars a year. But now, with this slower pace, I had (and took) the time to pray about it, and to listen for the Lord’s guidance before I made a decision like this. His message came back clear: “That’s not a good way to use the resources I’ve given you. How will that software package help you advance the Kingdom of God on earth? Is that just a ‘want’ or is that a ‘need’?” I knew this slower pace had created the atmosphere for me to listen for—and hear—Christ’s voice clearer than back in the hustle of pre-Covid life.

We are all wondering what the “new normal” will look like when life emerges from this pandemic. Romans 8:28 promises us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Maybe, after Covid, we will continue to treasure our human relationships over our possessions. Maybe, just maybe, we will have learned that “slow and simple” is better, that the silence and slowness enables us to hear God more clearly, and that Scripture can speak more clearly to us. Maybe through this, our relationships with God will continue to grow. Maybe we will learn that it’s easier than we think to take care of God’s creation.

In short, maybe we will be better at “loving the Lord with all our hearts, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.” Maybe a new day is dawning in our journeys with Christ?