Dear friends,
There is nowhere to go, nothing to do. Today is a lazy day in Jerusalem and I am on day 10 of quarantine. My body is tired (and sick) after wanderings across three continents, always walking towards something: a friend’s wedding, Thay’s root temple, holidays with family, work, a social entrepreneurship conference, my coach in Vienna. I have a runny nose and fluctuating temperature.
This quarantine is an invitation to stop running.
Outside there is news of a global epidemic. The virus has spread to my home of California, Leo’s home of Austria, even to seven Palestinians in Beit Jala. Bethlehem is a ghost town. There are blockades every few kilometers, shops are abandoned, even the Church of the Nativity is rejecting visitors. No traffic is allowed in or out of the city. Grocery stores and pharmacies are closed or have run out of supplies. The border between Jerusalem and the West Bank is shut.
Please read the rest of my reflections below:
https://melaniegin.com/cozy-quarantine-retreat/
Password: evergreen
Wherever you are, I hope you are happy, safe, and warm. May social distancing not keep you from those you love (taking refuge in phone and video calls). And may the groundless nature of this world not keep you from the truth in your heart, truth that can ground you in the midst of everything. Whatever this truth is for you.
I am grateful for your presence in my life. Please know I am here for you.
Love,
Melanie