Exile and Redemption in a Time of Plague

My pastor has been planning a September where we will look at themes of exile and restoration.  I'm intrigued to see where he goes with this.  He is planning worship on Sunday and a midweek study of some kind delivered by Zoom.  He asked me if I wanted to do something before worship on Sunday, something that incorporates a creative activity.  Of course I said yes, but I do realize that our South Florida COVID spike may put those plans on hold.  Where will we be by September?

I can get a bit lost in despair as I think about these plans.  Is it too early to look at themes of exile and redemption?  I thought we were almost to the place of redemption when it comes to this disease.  I knew we had work to do to get the vaccine to all the globe, but I thought we were on track in the industrialized nations.  And now, again, we are not on any kind of track I want to be on, as disease levels spike in the U.S.

My pastor asked me if I had any Bible passages that are my favorites when it comes to these themes.  My brain immediately went to Psalm 126, with its language of God restoring the fortunes of Zion and those who go out weeping will come back in joy.

Lately, though, my go-to Psalm has been Psalm 91, with its images of disease and pestilence at all times of the day and night and the promise of protection.  Psalm 91 is used as part of Compline at Mepkin Abbey, and last March, during the worst of my pandemic insomnia, those were the phrases that came to me, in Plainsong no less. And yesterday morning, as I was writing, Heidi Rodrick-Schnaath's post came across my feed; the end has references to other sacred texts that have given me solace today, and the post itself is a reminder that I am not the only one feeling this exhaustion and fatigue.

So yes, let me look to September.  Let me remember the promises of these ancient texts.  There is protection, there is redemption, no matter how lonely and extensive the exile.