Christ and Covid-19: Meditations for Peace in Times of Turmoil

by Robert L Gram

Overview

The meditations were written for a small church caught in the Covid-19 outbreak in the mid-Hudson region of New York State. The author describes how biblical themes in general, and Christ’s life, in particular, provide resilient hope during the pandemic. Throughout, the author offers insight, along with practical steps to thrive rather than survive. Dr. Gram discusses ways to manage fear, grief, and negativity. He explores the rise of self-defeating behaviors, and how to overcome them. The reader is challenged to simplify life, like Jesus, so that overlooked daily blessings can be celebrated. The author also provides understanding of how coronavirus distorts our understanding of reality. Each meditation begins with Scripture and ends with a brief prayer. Generally Dr. Gram suggests the pandemic forges our character in ways a pre-coronavirus world could not. The book offers comfort to anyone undergoing great stress, regardless of its cause.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951937447
Publisher:	Epigraph Publishing
Publication date:	07/06/2020
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.35(d)

About the Author

Rev. Dr. Robert L. Gram is a retired Reformed Church in America minister. He holds four theological degrees and an M.S. from Columbia University School of Social Work. He has authored a book, two plays, and numerous short fiction and non-fiction pieces. Presently he is working on a novel about the Civil War. He has climbed mountains around the world. At age 68 he crossed the country on a bicycle, averaging 82 miles a day. Dr. Gram is blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren. He lives in Rhinebeck, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"Gram's lucid writing style is that of a seasoned and intellectual yet nurturing pastor... An uplifting, relevant devotional for finding hope in darkness." —Kirkus Reviews

"Not only is this book a welcome resource for calm during this period of our history, but it is also an important hallmark of how the world is reacting and communicating while in quarantine." —Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 50 Reviwer, 5 stars

"With the world as it is, this book is sorely needed. The author has written with all the love and compassion you would expect from a man of God. His positive thinking and comforting reassurance that God does love us all." —Midwest Book Review, 5 stars

"If you're suffering under the weight of Covid-19, I highly recommend this book." —Rachel Song, Writer and Editor, 5 stars

"The diverse and distinct range of topics are truly phenomenal. ... These meditations are a cool balm to soothe the soul, and keep those of faith on the right track. They offer peace, better decision-making and compassion for all." —John Kelly, Detroit Free Press

From the Publisher

2020-11-11
A pastor compiles his daily writings to his Brooklyn parishioners during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic in this work.

Though retired from full-time ministry, Gram agreed to serve as the interim pastor of St. John’s Reformed Church in Red Hook. The church’s full-time minister had suffered a medical emergency. Soon, what was supposed to be a brief stint in a waterfront neighborhood turned into a complicated endeavor, as the author dealt with the most tumultuous moments in the church’s history. The New York region was one of the first places in America seriously affected by a wave of Covid-19 infections. As church doors closed and home and hospital visits became impossible, the author shifted to daily meditations written for his parishioners. This timely book features minimally edited versions of those daily devotions written during the pandemic. In nearly 50 pieces, ranging from short paragraphs to lengthy essays, Gram provides readers with inspirational notes. Some of them address the holy season’s transition from a somber Lent to the hope promised by Jesus’ resurrection at Easter. There are also Covid-19 specific messages; for example, the author delivers a reminder that loving one’s neighbor includes staying indoors to limit the spread of the virus. Written just prior to George Floyd’s death, which Gram laments in his introduction, his daily musings sometimes discuss racism, particularly anti-Asian violence and rhetoric. A final essay concludes with the author’s vivid story of overcoming a genetic blood-clotting disorder. After the diagnosis, he became a prolific mountain climber and rode his bicycle from California to New Hampshire at the age of 68. Each devotion follows a predictable pattern of a relevant Scripture reference, a reflective vignette, and a prayer. Gram’s lucid writing style is that of a seasoned and intellectual yet nurturing pastor. Though the author is a mainline Protestant, he intentionally includes other faith traditions in his remarks, from Roman Catholicism to Buddhism. While the heartfelt book ends abruptly without a satisfying narrative conclusion, it will nevertheless be of great use to Christians struggling to make spiritual sense of the Covid-19 pandemic.

An uplifting, relevant devotional for finding hope in darkness.

Kirkus Reviews