Being Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
The NHL is going to have their hockey playoffs after all – albeit in summer. When asked about a completely different schedule and without fan support, the coach answered, “We have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Wisdom.
There are plenty of times when being comfortable with being uncomfortable would suit us well. St. Paul said “I can be content in all things, having and not having, being a prisoner or being free, adding that he could do anything through Christ who strengthens him.” His words provide comfort as well as instruction, for we are told to be in Christ.
I think the Covid virus and our collective response, especially in the hard-hit areas, has made even going to the grocery store uncomfortable. Nearly 25 million people have sought unemployment insurance. Many are uncomfortable and wondering if they will be called back.
In addition to our acute stress caused by the pandemic, there is, for many, a chronic uncomfortableness created by the rate of technological change at home and at work. 43 years ago I bought my first car: a used VW Bug. I learned to drive a standard the day I drove it home. I did not need a manual to turn on the radio and the heat did not work anyway. My next car will require a skilled technician to help me program and connect my smart phone to the radio – if they even call it a radio any more, show me how the GPS works, possibly show me how to start the car with my phone, how the car can parallel park itself, and describe how the safety sensors will tell me if I’m getting too close to another car. The pace of change is incredible. Who would have thought 20 years ago that even the smallest of churches would be streaming their worship services with viewers all over the country.
It seems to me that much of the modern life is coping and hoping. Coping with being uncomfortable and hoping in Christ. So far I am uncomfortable with “2020”: the Covid Pandemic, dramatic unemployment, and social upheaval marked by marches, riots, and the takeover of city streets.
One way of being comfortable with this situation is to first remain calm and pray, and second is discerned action. These two steps are equally as important and being still and praying in and with Jesus always comes first. With respect to the Pandemic, I can support my neighbors, first responders, especially healthcare workers, through gifts of prayer, time, talent, money, food, and doing my part to social distance. To counteract racism, I can look to see how I can be an advocate and agent of change, and to investigate and financially support proven organizations that have had a marked impact in this area of social justice.
It takes self and social discipline to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. This concept is not new; most readers will remember Britain’s response to being bombed by Germany: Keep Calm and Carry On, which reminds us that the more things change the more they stay the same.