We have entered a time of uncertainty. This is the time between realizing we are in a crisis, but before knowing the extent of it. This time is unsettling, it is much like passing through airport security, trying to get reorganized before we board the plane for the real trip. How do we become recombobulated?
Nancy Reid-McKee with a reflection on Chaos Theory, and the changes in our life due to coronavirus. This reflection was part of a virtual worship service on Zoom teleconferencing.
Due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus in our community of Kirkland, WA (currently the epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States), and especially because of the possible risks to the elder members of our community and those with health challenges, we chose not to have an in-person service in our Sanctuary on Sunday, March 8th. Instead, we gathered our Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church congregation on a Zoom teleconference for a virtual service. (Learn about other options at the bottom of this post.) We had 75 devices join the call, and as we counted other people we saw on screen, we think we reached 86 members. (Our average attendance at a typical weekly service is 75 – 95 adults and 20 or so kids.)
This post is to share the technical details of what we did in case other churches or organizations might find it helpful.
This week, the Kirkland area is living with the presence of coronavirus in our community. We worry about over-reacting… we wonder if we should just go on about our lives as usual, knowing that for many people this virus only causes a mild illness. We worry about under-reacting. If we don’t change our behaviors, and keep going out in the world and interacting as we always do, could we increase the spread of the disease, putting many others at risk. In the spirit of compassion, and honoring the interconnectedness of all beings, we try to find a middle way.
