How Our Values Guide Us During COVID

Russell’s role as Director, Chaplaincy & Ministry Development for Lutheran Services involves help staff unpack what our Lutheran theology and identity look like in everyday life. Here he shares an example.

Well we continue to face unchartered times during COVID. Restrictions, mandatory vaccinations and now borders re-opening. It’s not all fine and dandy.

During times of uncertainty, our Lutheran Services values provide guideposts on how we can walk through the challenge together. We have four values – grace, integrity, empowerment and innovation, which form part of our Lutheran identity.

But how can our values help guide us during COVID?

Grace is a value we could draw on to support each other at work and life in general. Grace is offering a kind word or deed where we might easily (or rightly) have been judgemental or critical to those around us. It’s being kind to each other and also ourselves.

Grace in a Christian context means God forgiving or overlooking faults that we know could have been quite rightly condemned or criticised. John 8 is an example where Jesus confronts a woman who has been caught in adultery. The religious people are keen to see her punished, but Jesus recognises she knows her own failures and effectively ‘lets her off’ and tells her to try better from now on.

At Lutheran Services, I have suggested that in our work life, us showing grace could mean many things. It could be by giving a co-worker who’s stressed and on edge some space and taking time to listen to how they’re feeling.

It may mean recognising some co-workers could have qualms about COVID and vaccinations and giving them the space to have their own opinion and choices in a non-judgemental way.

There may also be a regretful situation where a co-worker decides to leave us due to mandatory vaccination. We can graciously express sorrow that they chose not to continue on this journey with us.

These are a few thoughts on how we could draw on grace together during uncertain times.

Warm greetings to you all,

Rev Dr Russell Briese
Director, Chaplaincy & Ministry Development