Title: A COVID-19 Anniversary Message from the UUTRM
March 14 will mark the anniversary of the Unitarian Unitarian Universalist Association’s recommendation that congregations stop meeting in person due to the pandemic. Your congregation, like others across the country, experienced a dramatic shift – a critical incident – when COVID-19 shutdowns took effect, changing everything about how we worship, learn, socialize, and show compassion for each other and for our communities.
On a personal level, the pandemic may have affected how you live, work, exercise, interact with family and friends, how you celebrate milestones, and even how you shop and access healthcare.
You may have experienced a range of reactions and feelings, including grief related to the changes and losses you and your congregation have experienced.
We are with the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry, a national organization of clergy and lay volunteers. We help ministers, Boards, religious educators, and congregations when things become challenging or overwhelming, and we are here today to help begin to put this past year into perspective.
Unlike many critical incidents, such as an unexpected death or property damage, this pandemic has been unsettling, disruptive, and ongoing. For some people, especially those with marginalized identities, it may also have been traumatic.
Our hope is that you can appreciate the resilience and coping skills you have developed over your lifetime. It may also be helpful to know that critical events and their aftermath have a predictable trajectory..
You may recall the first, pre-disaster phase, when news came out about a mystery virus. It seemed like a far-away problem there was no need to worry about, until one day, it became clear that COVID-19 was really dangerous. You may have felt worried and confused about next steps.
Mid-March last year, the UUA advised congregations to end in-person worship and programming, and the impact of the pandemic became real. A critical incident occurred that required you, your family, and the congregation to focus on survival. You or others may have experienced stress responses such as irritability, sweating, confusion, trouble sleeping, and time distortion.
Then came a Heroic phase when people sewed masks, delivered hand sanitizer and groceries, created social pods, started in-home schooling and Zoom worship, and rang bells to celebrate healthcare workers. It was a high-energy period, but…our bodies cannot sustain that level of effort.
The third phase was predictable: Disillusionment. We took inventory of how this virus affected – sometimes killed – people we know and loved. There has been such isolation, financial loss, and sadness to see people fight for resources. It wouldn’t be surprising if people found Zoom worship and programming lacking, leading people to lash out at the minister, director of religious education, Board, or musicians for not performing up to their expectations.
Many congregations and communities remain in the Disillusionment phase. Frankly, it hurts. We all want things to be different. It’s important to remember that many of us are experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout.
We urge you to hold on. Have faith. A time will come when the pandemic will turn a corner. It will likely take many more months, but eventually, it will be time to focus on a new beginning. A time of Reconstruction.
You know how to work through change, loss, and grief. You have experienced shifts in your reality before, and you know deep down, that someday this trying time will be a memory.
In the meantime, this anniversary may trigger emotional and physical responses. You may feel clumsy, or your thoughts may be muddled. You or others in your congregation may become intolerant or angry.
The coming of Spring is a good time to re-awaken a sense of compassion, to forgive each other, and to forgive ourselves. We can, as Rev. Robert Eller-Isaacs says, “Begin again in love.”
The UU Trauma Response Ministry is available to support your congregation if your minister or Board deems it helpful. But we have faith that individually and collectively, you will make it through this pandemic. We encourage you to share our faith.
March 14 is the anniversary of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s recommendation that congregations stop meeting in person due to the pandemic. Your congregation, like others across the country, experienced a dramatic shift – a critical incident – when the COVID-19 shut down took effect. It affected everything about how we worship, learn, socialize, and show compassion for each other.
On a personal level, the pandemic, the shut downs, and response or lack of response have likely affected how you live, work, interact with family and friends, how you celebrate milestones, and even how you shop and access healthcare.
You may have experienced a range of reactions and feelings, including grief related to the changes and losses you and your congregation have experienced.
We are with the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry, a national organization of clergy and lay volunteers. We help ministers, Boards, religious educators, and congregations when things become challenging or overwhelming, and we are here today to help you begin to put this past year into perspective.
Unlike many critical incidents, such as an unexpected death or property damage, this pandemic has been unsettling, disruptive, and ongoing. For some people, especially those with marginalized identities, it may also have been traumatic.
Our hope is that you can appreciate the resilience and coping skills you have developed over your lifetime. It may also be helpful to know that critical events and their aftermath have a predictable trajectory..
You may recall the first, pre-disaster phase, when news came out about a mystery virus. It seemed like a far-away problem there was no need to worry about, until one day it became clear that COVID-19 was really dangerous. You may have felt worried and confused about next steps.
Mid-March last year, the UUA advised congregations to end in-person worship and programming, and the impact of the pandemic became real. A critical incident occurred that required you, your family, and the congregation to focus on survival. You or others may have experienced stress responses such as irritability, sweating, confusion, trouble sleeping, and time distortion.
Then came a Heroic phase, when people sewed masks, delivered hand sanitizer and groceries, created social pods, started in-home schooling and Zoom worship, and rang bells to celebrate healthcare workers. It was a high-energy period, but…our bodies cannot sustain that level of effort.
The third phase was predictable: Disillusionment. Taking inventory of losses as this virus affected – sometimes killed – people you know and loved. There has been isolation and suffering from financial losses, and many people have fought for resources. It wouldn’t be surprising if people found Zoom worship and programming lacking and may have lashed out at the minister, director of religious education, Board, or musicians for not performing up to your expectations.
Compounding all of that was a period of political and social unrest as the entire country seemed to become polarized. Arguments about dismantling white supremacy culture within our own religious movement made even this faith feel like anything but a safe haven for many people.
Many congregations and communities remain in the Disillusionment phase. Frankly, it hurts. We all want things to be different. It’s important to remember that many of us are experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout.
We urge you to hold on. Have faith. A time will come when the pandemic will turn a corner. It will likely take many more months, but eventually, it will be time to focus on a new beginning. A time of Reconstruction when we build on what we’ve gained through this experience.
In the meantime, this anniversary may trigger emotional and physical responses. It’s not unusual for feelings of grief and loss to bring up grief and loss from the past.
You may feel clumsy, or your thoughts may be muddled. You may experience sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, or bouts of sadness, depression, annoyance, and anger. You may judge yourself harshly, thinking you are overreacting, but these symptoms of critical incident stress are to be expected in this abnormal situation.
These pressures cause stress hormones to course through your system. They are designed to gear up your body to fight, flee, or freeze in an emergency, but this pandemic has lasted a year and no quick end is in sight, so these hormones are overflowing.
Sometimes simply naming stresses brings some relief. Let’s pause for a moment while you reflect on the kinds of pressures and stressors affecting your life now.
<Pause>
We encourage you to identify what’s helped before when you were under enormous stress and pressure. The activities and rituals you found helpful before may also be helpful now. Maybe it’s time alone in a hot bath or shower. Or cuddling within your social pod. Or exercising, watching videos, or crafting. You may take comfort and strength from being in virtual community with those who share your racial, cultural, or sexual identity. Paths to self-healing are as individual as we are.
The coming of Spring is a good time to re-awaken a sense of compassion, to forgive each other, and to forgive ourselves. We can, as Rev. Robert Eller-Isaacs says, “Begin again in love.”
The UU Trauma Response Ministry is available to support your congregation if your minister or Board deems it helpful. We have faith that individually and collectively, you will make it through this pandemic. We encourage you to share that faith