December 23, 2020

Dear Ones,

I have a friend who typically ends his message exchanges with, “Know you are loved.” That reminder hits home this holiday season, perhaps more than in prior ones.

For those of us in the ministry, we have been “on-call” 24/7 since the Covid-19

pandemic began, doing our best to hold sacred space for those who are in emotional, psychological, spiritual, economic, and physical turmoil. Serving others in this capacity is both exhausting and rewarding beyond imagining. Common to all the expressions of turmoil I have held space for this year is a sense of devaluation, a sense of being unloved.

In my native faith tradition, this is a season dedicated to the birth of profound love. We may not recognize it in this moment, but I feel in the core of my being that we have come face-to-face with the greatest gift, that of knowing we are indeed, loved. Attached to this gift, however, is the cosmic equivalent of the disclaimer, “batteries not included.” True love – deep, abiding, evolutionary, revolutionary love – isn’t static. It requires a source of energy. Us.

Every one of us knows another who is in despair and feeling alone right now. I

believe it is our obligation to install our batteries and begin operating to dispel that sense of isolation and sorrow. It may sound trite to you, that old reminder that love is the only gift that never diminishes when you give it away, but that doesn’t make it untrue.

Please, this year more than any other, reach out to someone who lives alone or is

separated from loved ones. Let them know you are thinking of them and they matter to you. You don’t need to use the language of love, you can simply ask, “how are you?” But, make the commitment to truly wanting to know the answer. Then listen whole-heartedly when it comes. Don’t expect to provide a person in turmoil with specific solutions to their problem. If they are in deep crisis, guide them toward professional support. Be open, however, to the possibility that you are working sacred magic simply by reaching out.

Know you are loved ... then, let others know they are loved as well.

With blessings and love,

Rev. Sonia