Return to…Normal?

A couple weeks ago I had the chance to spend a few days at the beach with my family.  It was a welcome break, and I remembered how important it can be to step away from the regular, daily demands of work and home, and make space for rest and creativity. 

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Mepkin Abbey.  Located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, the abbey is home to Trappist monks.  Located along the banks of the Cooper River, the Abbey’s setting is stunningly beautiful, and historically complicated.  The monks are intentional about honoring all the spirits that have called the place home:  indigenous people, enslaved Black people, wealthy industrialists, and those who have given their lives to a life of simplicity and prayer. 

While visiting the Abbey, we had the opportunity to join the monks in their midday prayer.  I was struck by this prayer, which they began praying in the early days of the pandemic last year:

                Most merciful and Triune God

                We come to you in our weakness.

                We come to you in our fear.

                We come to you with trust.

                For you alone are our hope.

                We place before you the disease present in our world.

                We turn to you in our time of need.

                Bring wisdom to the doctors.

                Give understanding to the scientists.

                Endow caregivers with compassion and generosity.

                Bring healing to those who are ill.

                Protect those who are most at risk.

                Give comfort to those who have lost a loved one.

                Welcome those who have died into your eternal home.

                Stabilize our communities.

                Unite us in your compassion.

                Remove all fear from our hearts.

                Fill us with confidence in your care.

                We pray in the name of Jesus who is Lord forever and ever. 

The monks instituted this prayer shortly after the pandemic began, and it speaks clearly to that time.  But for many of us who work in healthcare settings, there is a timelessness to this prayer that speaks its relevance even as we begin to emerge from pandemic life with very hopeful signs. 

We are approaching a return to in-person gatherings, and yet we are not there yet.  There are vulnerable people among us, even vaccinated ones whose bodies do not respond by making the necessary antibodies.  Many of us live with children who are not yet eligible for vaccines.  We have many reasons for hope, and yet it is evident that a return to “normal” will be a bumpy path.  There is lots of learning still ahead for us.

Several of our CoPs are anticipating gathering in person in the Fall.  They are dwelling in the hope of a return to embodied collaboration, hungry for the care and connection that a gathered community can provide.  And they dwell in this hopefulness, knowing that there will be many in our midst who are unable to travel or to risk exposure.  Hybrid events and meetings bring challenges and possibilities.

If you are considering a hybrid event for your CoP in the coming year, please reach out to me!  We would love to support your efforts and share what we are learning about how to plan and implement them well.    

Katherine Higgins is the Director of Communities of Practice. She may be contacted at katherine.higgins@acpe.edu