A new beginning

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Behold, I make all things new!

These words from the Book of Revelation, written by John of Patmos, resulted from the revelation he received from an angel. They were written at the end of the first century A.D. to the followers of Jesus, who came to know and love Christ through the letters of St. Paul, the Evangelists and the inspired stories of those who knew him. Most, if not all, who heard these words never met Jesus during the time of his earthly ministry. They lived in a Roman-dominated world, and whether they were Greek, Hebrew or Gentile, they were subjugated to Roman authority and controlled by this outside force, which restricted their freedom, created fear and discouragement and generated mistrust.

As we face COVID-19, we cannot help but see similarities. We may feel controlled and fearful. We are unable to move about our normal lives as we had so easily and confidently done only one year ago, a time that now seems far away and foreign to us. And yet, Jesus is saying that he makes all things new for us today, just as he did for his followers at the end of the first century. He wants us to trust him with our lives, just as he encouraged those who sought out his Holy Spirit two millennia ago.

We must face the continued unfolding of this unwelcome pandemic, in which we have all been touched in some way. We do see hope on the horizon, and we sometimes find ourselves breathing a sigh of relief as we dare to allow a moment of optimism.

Many people feel the trauma that can be created by fear and isolation during this difficult time, which makes it difficult to engage in intimate relationships because it can create a loss of a sense of self. Trauma responses are superimposed over everything, so people experiencing this often are continually reminded of unresolved traumatic experiences.

The late Dr. Francine Shapiro, senior research fellow emeritus at the Mental Research Institute, contends that memories of unresolved trauma “continue to generate negative thoughts and feelings whenever they are triggered.” These activated triggers send continual, anxious messages of “should” to our brain, which prevent us from engaging in a sense of peace.

As we hopefully emerge from this past year of trauma, created by the novel coronavirus, a contentious election, and the shutdowns and isolation, many people — adults and children — might find themselves in a heightened state of arousal, which activates areas of the brain that alert them of danger. The immediate, pressing danger may have passed, but we will likely see post-traumatic stress responses following the pandemic.

If you feel you, or someone you love, has been activated by fear and uncertainty during the pandemic, and you believe they are continuing to be triggered by trauma memories, please reach out for help. Some common signs that our children, or we ourselves, should seek help are nightmares, seemingly irrational outbursts when something unexpected happens or a dread we cannot seem to shake. Some might call this depression or anxiety; others refer to it as trauma responses.

Please do not allow the pandemic to do any more harm than it already has done to our world, and hold onto the words of Jesus: “Behold, I make all things new.”

Soucheray is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a member of St. Ambrose in Woodbury. She holds a master’s degree in theology from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul and a doctorate in educational leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.