If there is one thing we’ve learned over the last 10 months, it’s that separation is difficult. You may have struggled with separation from friends and family. Maybe you’ve felt separated from the places you used to go or the activities you used to do on a regular basis. Or, maybe it’s the very existence of plexiglass that is bugging you. Whatever it is, our recent separations are like an introduction to a cousin we hardly knew existed. The strange thing is, this cousin has been revealing things about our own hearts we’ve never considered acknowledging.

I remember being introduced to this concept when I was a kid. 

I started attending summer camps when I was 10. Sometimes it was church camp. Sometimes it was basketball camp. And for about three summers in a row, I would become homesick. Every single time.

During the day, there were occasional frustrations. But when I would lie in bed at night, I couldn’t escape the intense emotional struggle. I’d count the days, the hours even, until I could go home. Had I not experienced a week at camp, I’m not sure I would have been introduced to the agony of that kind of separation.

We aren’t the only mammals who don’t like separation.

In his book The Whale, Philip Hoare talks about the connected relationships the mighty sperm whales share with one another. He said they enjoy the contact of their bodies, spending hours slowly rolling around one another just below the surface. He writes that it isn’t unusual to see animals gently clasping jaws.

Now that’s what I call close! What would it take for these whales to feel like their personal space is being violated? I wonder if they’ve struggled with having to social distance over the last year.

“When sperm whales feel threatened they will stop feeding, swim to the surface and gather together to form a cluster,” Hoare continues. “Assembled nose-to-nose around their calves, they form a tactical circle known as a ‘marguerite,’ bodies radiating outward like the petals of a flower. … If a whale is separated from the circle, one or two of its companions will leave its safety to escort the animal back to the formation, risking their own lives as the killers take great chunks out of the sperm whales’ flesh, foraging like a pack of wolves.”

Whales don’t like separation either. They are so against it they’re willing to risk their lives to bring a captured whale back to the circle.

What separation has to do with faith.

Two concepts, in particular, come to my mind when I consider the role separation plays in our relationship with God.

1) We must AVOID separation.

2) We must EMBRACE separation.

For now, let me address the first. 

As followers of God we are called to avoid separation. Disciples of Jesus were not designed to be lone soldiers. The scriptures point to our need for one another. Over and over again, in different ways we are reminded of the importance of being the church, or “the gathering.” 

The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another. …” — Hebrews 10:24-25

It’s a unique time to live this out. There are good reasons for us to “social distance,” but that doesn’t mean we simply avoid one another.

Avoiding separation requires creativity and discipline. 

Our challenge is to stay connected in ways that not only honor those over us, but creatively loves those who are no longer sitting right next to us. Right now, we are unable to do church like we did in 2019, and that’s OK. Avoiding separation means we consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds no matter the situation we find ourselves in.

How can you spread encouragement to others at this time? How can you send a blessing in this current climate? What are imaginative ways for you to connect? Maybe it’s simply setting aside things on your to-do list to intentionally stir up those you haven’t been with for a while.

Maybe your reality hasn’t changed. Maybe in 2019 you were the kind of person who didn’t avoid separation, but enjoyed it. But over the last year you’ve realized the separation that’s been encouraged is bringing up a longing for others. A longing you didn’t really know existed.

Whether separation is a new, undesirable companion or has always been a lifelong annoyance, I encourage you to make the most of this opportunity. Stay connected to others. They might need you more than you think.

The difficulty of separation is one reason why we need to avoid it, but it’s also a reason why it’s hard to embrace it.

Embracing separation is something else that God desires from us. We’ll talk about that next week.