Reboot. An action that I usually associate with my computer. Due to the frequent use of Zoom, I have been restarting my desktop more often to guarantee that it will run smoothly and reliably while hosting a meeting. To reboot, I must close all the running programs on the computer, and then reopen them when the restart is finished. Rebooting takes extra time, but it is worth it. At the end of the process I have a more efficient device that will assist me in getting my work done.
This is the time to reboot. I am not referring to your laptop, but rather life in general. During the lockdown most of us have been forced to stop many of our usual activities and settle into a way of life that is not nearly as cluttered. Maybe during this period you have recognised how busy life was before. Maybe this time of isolation has given you the chance to revaluate your life – your relationships, your activities, your priorities. If you have not, then maybe it is time you do.
Making course corrections in the busyness of life is often very difficult. However, the lockdown may be a gift that allows us to make significant adjustments to how we do life, and how we function as the church. Going back to the way things were should not be an option – this is the time to reboot. As the Church it means stopping to pray and reflect about what it means to be on God’s mission. Just because we have been doing ‘good’ things does not mean that we are doing what God wants us to do. Or doing it the way he wants it done.
Let us accept this time as a gift from God to be renewed, to allow the Holy Spirit to carve new patterns into our lives and service for him. Reboot.
