My reflection on the readings of the day usually draw me towards the gospel. Today’s gospel reading from Mark certainly has a great deal of good stuff to reflect upon as Jesus ascends into heaven and his disciples go forth and preach everywhere.

But, my attention from today’s readings are drawing me to Peter’s first letter. It seems to say so much about what the world is experiencing right here and now. Peter says, “Cast all your worries upon him because he care for you.” How perfect for the worries of the newness we live in today. But, Peter goes on to teach us about something that is perhaps as equally important - our sameness with one another. A few lines later he says, “…knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.” If there is one positivity that we can take away from this pandemic is the realization of our sameness in our humanity.

Sometimes our fast-paced lives cause us to get caught up inside the issues of our personal lives only. It’s easy to feel like our problems are worse than others. This “otherness” leads to an individualistic view and does not allow us to see the interconnections among all of us. It doesn’t allow us to see that we are just part of the whole, rather than being “the whole”. Peter reminds us that people everywhere experience the same difficulties and challenges regardless of where you live. Likewise, the COVID-19 pandemic is teaching us the same. It doesn’t matter your gender, race, nationality, socio-economic status, or even political party, no one is immune to the challenges of the day. We are all experiencing physical isolation from one another, anxiety from not knowing what the immediate and long-term future holds, and perhaps a longing for “the good ‘ol days” of pre-pandemic life. But, knowing that we are not suffering inside of our individual-ness is somehow comforting because it allows us to connect with everyone across the globe at a deeper level. And, perhaps if we reflect upon that notion for long enough, we can realize that in order for us to feel whole as an individual, we need to paradoxically come to terms with the idea that we are only part of the whole and share the greater wholeness with the rest of humanity.