“It is more fit for us, to be covered with God’s eternal Spirit, and clothed with his eternal Light which leads us, and guides us into righteousness, and to live righteously and justly and holy in this profane evil world. This is the clothing that God puts upon us, and likes, and will bless. This will make our Light shine forth.” Margaret Fell

Query: How do I take my sense of God and bring it into a tangible form of hope for others? What does it look like to wear ‘the clothing God puts upon us’?

Especially during this time of stress for many, I have tried to bring hope to others by sharing ‘smiling eyes’ (since people can’t see my smile through a mask), by exchanging funny memes and jokes online with colleagues, and by sharing spiritual reflections with Friends at Meeting and elsewhere. I have also tried to be more patient, particularly as the reopening of schools has caused so much stress, and mandated simultaneous face-to-face and online instruction creates daily struggles for students and teachers. The clear anxiety everyone carries about safety and lack of proper technology calls for extra care in being calm and supportive. No aspect of this has been easy, and so many folks feel helpless and unheard as administrations at the state and local level push plans forward regardless of the pandemic. I thought it apropos that the query asked about what it looked like to “wear the clothing God puts upon us.” The clothing that symbolizes this now is the mask and gloves. Many ‘angels’ in this world are wearing this clothing in their direct service to others – health care workers and others in the service industries. These courageous folks put their lives on the line every day. Though I do not do this kind of front-line work, my ministry encouraging my students and colleagues is, in its own way, a transformative service. I am by no means heroic in this regard as others are, but I hope that some of what I am doing and have done has brought the dawn, the Light, to others.

Even though we are more isolated right now, I feel strengthened to see all the positive ways people connect with others whether within their work or by the acts of service they perform, all showing so much care and concern for another human being. Sometimes, a less caring approach  challenges me to see others’ reality in a new light and to hold them in that place where they are – being open to how their experience can be very different from my own – and to accept them in that. I do not always succeed in this – judgmentalism rears its ugly head at times and I react to the tone or wording rather than looking beneath the surface. But I am blessed to have the opportunity to inch closer each day, seeking to “be covered with God’s eternal spirit”, and hopefully being of service with patience and perseverance.

Lisa Erazmus

Photo: Harry Quan-Unsplash