Editor’s Note: 2020 has been a tremendously difficult year for the world. In fact, many of us want to throw it into a dumpster and forget it ever existed. But we know that God has been sovereign over and through 2020, and because of this, we know that there are real moments of grace and redemption.
To help us to identify these movements of God, we asked our SOLA Council members to share their reflections on what this pandemic and its consequences have revealed. We have collected their responses into a new SOLA series: “The Redemption of 2020.” We hope their thoughts and testimonies will be an encouragement to Christians and local churches as we enter into 2021 and beyond. This is the fifth and final addition to our series.
When I think about 2020 and what everyone’s been going through, there’s both a shrinking and an enlarging of my world. It’s shrinking because I’m unable to meet as many people on a frequent, weekly basis as I had before; as often as I’m used to or hope for.
There’s also a shrinking of my social network. I spend much more time with my wife, I realize I’m more introverted than I believed myself to be, and I enjoy just being home more than I thought I would. I enjoy being with my immediate family, I’ve only eaten meals with my family, and have only seen just a couple of other people during these whole eight months or so.
But there’s also been an enlarging of my world I’ve intentionally sought out. I’m spending time with key leaders who lead churches in California and around the country. I’ve come to appreciate and lean on these times.
I’ve been able to share the burdens of my heart and hear some of theirs, whereas before, I was ( as I imagine a lot of other people were), wrapped up in building my own church with my own agenda and goals.
But what’s happened is that we’ve had to press pause on those things, join hands with others, and say, “This problem is bigger than us. How do we help each other?” So when I meet with a group of leaders on Zoom, when we share struggles and answers that others may have discovered, or just root each other on through discouragement, I realize we’re on the same team, and I’m encouraged by that. I lean into these times. Zoom has made it convenient to do so.
So that is one of the redemptive things of 2020. When all is said and done, I’m still going to meet with some groups of leaders on a regular basis. I think it’s good for my soul, and I think it’s good for our souls. And in between those meetings, I’ll continue to cherish moments with my family, and myself, too.