We beseech Thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

-- Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church

As the world reels from the spread of Covid-19 and the near panic that precedes it, we continue to pray. We pray for the intervention of God, in his mercy, to abate the spread of this disease. We pray for wisdom for the myriads of doctors and scientists trying to understand it better. We pray for protection for health care providers on the front lines treating this disease. We pray without ceasing.

And we act. We follow the best practices distributed by the CDC and other agencies. As inconvenient as things are for many, sometimes the best way we can demonstrate love for our neighbors is by things that are inconvenient for us in the short term. We avoid large crowds, we wash our hands, we check on our neighbors to make sure they are cared for. We love with boldness.

Photo by Peter Lewis on Unsplash