Easter 2 A + Breathe in me + 4.19.20

(Deep Breath, Melanie Weidner)

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Ps. 16; 1 Peter 1:3–9; St John 20:19–31)

Jesus said: "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Reading this passage this week, I was drawn to the breath imagery. I remembered reading a couple of years back a book by Richard Rohr that discussed how our very breath – the act of breathing in and out- can be a powerful reminder that each breath we take is the Holy Spirit breathing life into us and inviting us into life.[1]

And yet the breath imagery brought tears to my eyes as I thought of those across the world who struggle to breathe right now due to COVID-19. Breathe on us, Breath of God.

And my prayer became, for those struggling to breathe: peace. And for those of us who can breathe freely, that we can rejoice.

But it has been hard. This is a time of great anxiety for many. Our breathing may feel restricted even if we are not sick. And we know that even the air we breathe might be contaminated. Social scientist Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale has a podcast called “The Happiness Lab” and she did a special broadcast on wellness during COVID-19.[2] She mentioned that the threat of COVID-19 is the equivalent to our brains of encountering a tiger that wants to eat us in the wild. We are in fight or flight mode, only we can’t stay that way for weeks and months on end. It isn’t healthy. So she encouraged us to find ways to stop and take deep breaths and other ways to be mindful during this time. Just brief amounts of meditation, prayer or breathing can calm our nervous system down and let us know that we are not about to be eaten. And we invite God to be present in the air we breathe, trusting God is breathing in and through us.

I think in light of this it is amazing that Jesus breathes peace on his disciples and reminds them of the Holy Spirit in them in today’s gospel passage. He is modeling how we must invite God’s breath into our lives, perhaps especially when we are in locked rooms full of fear and anxiety. Jesus knows what we need, and is right there with us with the peace we need.

You might listen to the 1st Peter passage for today and think – yes we are suffering through trials, but is it true that God is just testing our faithfulness? I think rather than how we understand testing, the epistle writer is talking about us showing our faith by our actions. This is an invitation into a more resilient way of being. How can we pause during the day to lift others up in prayer and take some time to pray and meditate ourselves?  How can we remember that the God who loved us into being will love us through this time also?

A commentator on this 1st Peter passage introduced me to a gospel song, the words of which I liked very much. It is called “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,” and part of the song goes like this:

I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live for day to day;
I don’t borrow from the sunshine, For its skies may turn to gray.
I don’t worry o’er the future, For I know what Jesus said;
And today I’ll walk beside Him, For He knows what lies ahead.
Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand.[3]

None of us knows about tomorrow. But we know who holds our hand. We know that that same Savior is in each sick room, holding each hand right now. And that he is in each locked room with us, breathing Peace into us. Inviting the Holy Spirit into our life to guide us through this time and to something better.

Amen.

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[1] Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, Audiobook, 2017.

[2] Laurie Santos, “Coronavirus BONUS: Laurie’s Personal Tips,” The Happiness Lab Podcast, April 8, 2020.

[3] Ira F. Stanphill, “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,” lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Capitol Christian Music Group.