Savior of the Nations, Come: December 19, 2021

Savior of the Nations, Come: The Advent 2021 Devotional Book for St. Paul's Episcopal Church

“Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” -Psalm 71:3 (NRSV)

A woman named Barbara Duriau from Belgium started a Facebook page called “View from my window” in the spring of 2020 where people would post a picture of the scene from their window. With the stay-at-home orders in place worldwide, the group exploded in size. It was not uncommon to see someone’s view from rural South Africa followed by the view from someone’s Manhattan apartment, and the group is up to 2.7 million members now.

I have been following the group since at least April 2020 and it is a highlight of my day to see where people are posting from daily. (I have even had an image appear on the page depicting the view of Little Mountain from my bedroom.) Even though I am vaccinated, I still stay pretty close to home due to work and also a desire not to expose myself to unvaccinated people, so having a way to visit other places is wonderful.

The best part of the Facebook page these days is hearing the stories of how people have ended up in the areas where they currently live. Many people have overcome serious events in their lives, lived all over the world, or are currently dealing with adverse circumstances. The positivity displayed in everyone is encouraging, and it is allowing me to very quietly see the world from the fortress of my room.

Thank you, Lord, for the ways in which you bring people together on social media. Help us to remember that we belong to each other, and we depend on each other to keep each other safe. Amen.
-Jen McCabe