I’ve been thinking about little things the last few days. Like the preposition, ‘everyone’. As a poet every word is important and I’ve given more thought to the choice of a preposition, than I have about what to make for supper. Everyone, as a preposition is rarely the right choice. We use it pejoratively, insensitively, thoughtlessly and usually to boost our egos. But right now, Everyone, is an important and surprisingly accurate word. Everyone is touched by the threat of Covid-19 — indeed, our world will never be the same because of it.

So what can meet ‘everyone’? And how can I, one small person, engage with it and respond? Everyone, the weight of it, becomes almost immediately overwhelming, too big, too messy. But I feel a reflex rising in me — body memory reaching for Holy Habits. These form a kind of scaffold in my inner world, that supports the structure of my outer world. The good news and why I’m even talking about them here, directly, is that they were for me developed in crisis and so holy habits are entirely accessible to each, to Everyone in this crisis time. They can begin in the middle of all this. In many ways, we all begin again when we face trouble, so it isn’t impossible to begin, even for the first time.

Holy Habits

I’m reaching into
Holy Habits I learned
in the trenches of other troubles.

Rising Early
(even though I’m not working now
and don’t need to make lunches)
I still myself to be present, ready
to receive the gift of today.

Keeping Silence
The only space big enough
to hold the ‘Everyone’
this corona virus threatens.

Walking
Rhythmic, steady,
prayer as steps pressed
into the Earth, over Everyone:
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God
have mercy on us!

Writing
I work it out in a poem.
Let the dismay, confusion,
sadness, even anger seep down
to my heart, to mingle together
with The Holy and become lament.
Hosanna, hosanna!

And when a Heron,
my symbol of hope,
strides across the pond toward me
in the early morning, I give thanks!
for God’s good presence
and promise coming toward me,
toward everyone — With Us,
even in this.

© 2020 Laurel Archer

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A couple of comments: 1. my habits may be different from your habits. That is wonderful. We are each unique and God strengthens us in different ways, yet in some of the same ways generally, so deepen some old ones and explore some new ones. 2. It is a courageous thing to open up to feel all this, which is what Holy Habits invite us to do. It is facing reality, not avoiding it. But in facing reality, we also welcome fully God’s presence into our reality too. 3. Self medicating (in whatever way we do this, and we all do) is the opposite of this — we guard our hearts by staying present and awake to reality. I would love to hear about how your holy habits are sustaining you and helping you be present to/for others. Peace of Christ to you all.