Comfort and Mercy
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble.”
On March 30, the massive Navy ship Comfort glided by the Statue of Liberty, passed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and sailed on choppy grey waves up the Hudson River until she docked on Pier 90 in Manhattan. The Comfort is a hospital ship and has come to help ease overcrowding in NYC’s hospitals during the present crisis.
The Navy hospital ship Mercy has already arrived in Los Angeles and is already helping patients. These beautiful ships are active sources of physical help, but they are also symbolic of the compassion and care that people all over the world are showing for one another.
Sheltering in place is something we have little control over but what we do while we are at home is up to us. How we treat our family, what we accomplish, what we spread on social media- these things we can control. We can choose whether we are passengers on the ships of mercy and comfort or if we choose to climb aboard the ships of panic and fear.
The virus has brought fear and confusion, but in the middle of the storm we extend mercy and comfort to one another in beautiful ways. Compassion is stitched into every one of the fabric masks sewn by men and women to donate to local hospitals and medical centers. Generosity is passed out with paper bag lunches packed for hungry school children in our communities. Italians sang from windows to share beauty, while in Atlanta neighbors cheer from high rise balconies to thank medical staff as they change shifts. Cars circle hospitals as people “park and pray” to let staff know they are appreciated and prayed for. In Tom’s River NJ, police bought pizza for their small town so even while they were stuck at home, families could share a meal and feel togetherness around the circle of a delicious pizza pie.
Grace, generosity, and compassion seem to be spreading faster than the virus.
God is the Father of mercies and the source of all comfort. As we extend mercy and comfort for each other, we are echoing our Creator. Just as Mercy and Comfort have arrived at their ports, let mercy and comfort dock securely in our homes. God will comfort us in this tribulation, and we in turn can comfort others.
