Death Over Separation

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:14 (NLT)

I pulled up in the parking lot to wait. I was meeting my parents to exchange some food and chat, from a distance, for a while. It’s been over a month since I’ve hugged them or been able to go back home to see my family.

My sister-in-law sent an Easter basket with some candy, colored sheets, and a sweet note from my nieces and nephew telling me they loved me. Oh, how I miss their sweet smiles, silly giggles, and big hugs.

I heard a knock on my door. I checked through the blinds to see my friend walking back to her car after leaving some groceries for me. I opened the door, and we spent a few minutes talking, me on my front porch, and her from the inside of her car.

A friend lost her father-in-law recently but wasn’t able to embrace him one last time and say goodbye. Her son wasn’t able to return home due to travel restrictions. Limited attendance mandated and an inability to get out of the car at the burial site marked a unique and unprecedented service.

One of my closest friends and my sister-in-law are both due to have their babies over the next several weeks, but they’ll have to go through this process without their usual support systems, and hospitals will remain with strict visitation policies.

I share these snippets not to receive pity or as a way of complaining, but as a reflection of the current condition of many of our hearts during this time of social distancing. We are all grieving and experiencing separation right now in a way none of us ever could have imagined. I believe the sacrifices we are making are absolutely worth it, but it can also be completely heartbreaking as well. I know I could rattle off many other instances of how our lives have flipped upside-down over the course of the last month or so, as could all of you.

As I was unloading some food and groceries the other day, I found myself momentarily overwhelmed with this feeling of sadness and grief. I spent some time talking with the Lord about what I was feeling in my heart, and I came to the realization that, for me, separation is the worst. Life is so weird right now, maybe more for some of us than others. Disconnectedness. Job loss. Financial instability. Isolation. Uncertainty about the future. I would venture to say we are all experiencing waves of emotions each day, sometimes shifting by the hour or minute. That is why I am so thankful for Jesus. As I am searching for stability in a state of chaos, He is always there.

We just walked through Holy Week together, marked by Jesus’ death on the cross, the silence of Saturday, and the resurrection of Sunday. On the night of his betrayal and arrest, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. As it is recounted in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 22, it was there at the Mount of Olives that Jesus uttered these words, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Jesus’ human heart wanted God to alleviate his suffering. I know I can relate to that and I’m sure you can, too.

Is the social distancing a necessary sacrifice right now given everything that we’re dealing with? Absolutely. Are we all doing the best we can to survive each and every day? Yes, for sure. None of our stories is the same, yet it has helped me to remember that we are all experiencing loss and separation in one way or another. While processing the way my heart was feeling in regard to being disconnected from my family and close friends, I was reminded of the choice Jesus made to be obedient to God’s plan for all of creation. Our sin separated us from God, but it says in Colossians 2:14, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” The cross is a symbol of exchange. His suffering for our sin. His grief for our gain. His pain for our presence with God.

Jesus’ death on the cross canceled sin debt for everyone who places their faith in Him. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When we confess these words, we receive the free gift of salvation and are promised eternity in heaven with God. During this time of uncertainty, may we cling to the truth of God’s promises and remember Jesus’ sacrifice. Because He chose death, we can know with certainty that this period of separation is only temporary.