I remember how devastated I was when the death toll from coronavirus reached 100,000.

Now, almost a year later, I hear 500,000 and barely bat an eye.

Have I grown callous? Or is the enormity of it somehow just to great to take in, too difficult to process?

Yes, this has been a season of grief for most of us. But it has also been an opportunity for growth, for change, for re-creating our world and making it better.

We have had to confront systemic racism in new ways. Yet despite all the protests and publicity, we continue to hear about acts of racism and injustice. How will it end? Can it end? Repeated images of George Floyd and others killed unjustly tear my heart open. We must make it end.

We must begin to act and advocate for justice wherever we are. We must turn our grief and sorrow into action to build a better future for ourselves and our children.

As we come out of the season of Lent I hope we have taken time and allowed ourselves space to heal, to grieve, and to discern what is needed now.

As we move into the hope and joy of the Resurrection, let’s remember that God is still sovereign. We can’t see what His plan is but we can be obedient to whatever He is calling us to do at any given moment, trusting in Him for the outcome. We can be co-creators with God, working together to build His loving kingdom in a fallen and hurting world.

Together, let us move with faith into a brighter future.

-Grace L. Kennedy