A couple of weeks ago, towards the beginning of Lent, Joy Okoye wrote:
"Your nervous system doesn’t read think pieces. It doesn’t care about Supreme Court decisions or policy memos. It cares about survival. And right now, for many of us, that primal part of our brain is screaming, You are not safe. This is why you can’t focus. Why you keep doom-scrolling even though it makes you sick. Why you forget to eat lunch but still check your news alerts like they’re your lifeline. Dr. Stephen Porges, who developed Polyvagal Theory, explains that when we’re in a chronic state of fight-or-flight, we start seeing everything as a threat — even things that aren’t. Our bodies stop distinguishing between an actual crisis and a perceived one. We can’t think straight. We make impulsive choices. We either shut down completely or live in a constant state of simmering panic."
Does this sound like you? I think it sounds like me! So what to do?
Okoye offers six action items: move, breathe, be in community, find joy, create a grounding ritual, name what is happening.
And I was struck that we do all these things here at West Parish! We share in the Sunday movements of worship and fellowship. We breathe deeply as we light our Christ Candle. We are grounded by our shared rituals of stillness and communion and prayer. We laugh together! And we notice and name what is happening-- and we pray for justice and mercy.
The simple rhythms of our church life are more essential than ever. The simple act of worshipping together, grounding ourselves in shared practices both ancient and new: these are powerful antidotes to the trauma of this time. So please do join us as you are able! We need church, and we need one another.
