Issue 67 - From the Editor
By Jonathan Ho
Dear readers,
Another year has gone by and it’s now 2022, about two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that has shaped how we work and interact with one another. These changes bring both new challenges and new opportunities.
One of the challenges is how some of us can now live less personal lives. Many online applications are now available which reduce in-person interactions. Virtually all of my work meetings are online rather than in person, even when speaking with others in the same building, even those just across the hall. Many church groups have strengthened their online services, allowing many to view church services and worship from the comfort of their own homes, whether wearing pajamas in bed or dressed up in their living rooms. In some ways, we can do “more” for less effort. Life has in some ways become more distant and it has become easier to live as observers rather than direct participants.
Yet, despite the distance, life has also become more connected. Recently, I attended a memorial service that I never would have been able to attend had it been in person due to the distance. I’ve also participated in workshops where people connected from all over the country, something I never would have imagined as a norm before 2020. In 2020, a mission trip I was planning on participating in shifted from in-person to virtual. Instead of going in person, we hosted online workshops while the locals focused on the relationships. While many of the technologies we now use had existed before COVID-19, the trend of society in the U.S. and many other countries has been violently pushed into a newer norm of interaction.
The pandemic has not only shaped a “new normal” of interactions and expectations, but also acts as a filter for our past traditions as it continues to shape how we live out our faith. As mentioned earlier, we can now attend church services from around the world from the comfort of our own homes. This brings to bear the question, what is “church” and what is its purpose? Can we live as the Church from our homes? And if so, was there (or is there) something missing to our understanding of church?
Clement continues his series in this edition with a further exploration of a post-COVID world and what that means as the Church. He helps us explore these questions and more. Brandon gives us a framework of how we might see God’s call today by looking at the past, the present, and the future. He introduces this framework by looking at the United States and Indigenous Peoples.
In all, we hope and pray that God uses this edition to draw you closer to God and to your neighbor. May God work through us to a deeper love of him, one another, ourselves, and creation.
As a final note, you may have noticed that our layout design is a little different than before. After years of layout work for KRC, Joan Kao has stepped down from her role and will serve as an advisor from time to time. We are so thankful for her many years of work, feedback, and support to both KRC as a whole and Project Arctos. We will miss her presence and wish her all the best.
Jonathan Ho
P.S. How has your life changed since the pandemic? Want to explore the ideas from the articles more? Let us know how God has been shaping you and your community since COVID-19 first appeared. We’d love to hear from you and share with you upcoming events related to the articles. Email us at hello@projectarctos.com.