In the midst of social distancing, coronavirus quarantines and self-isolation, electronic
means of communication have become the new normal. As Asbury has moved online, it has been
quick to reaffirm its commitment to relationship and community, even as those must look a lot
different. Virtual chapel, bedtime stories with President Dr. Kevin Brown and his wife, Maria,
and even Zoom office hours have all been put in place to help keep our community strong. In
personal relationships, social media, text and FaceTime keep us anchored and grounded to our
friends and the vast world outside our secluded home.
The last couple of weeks have been important. Students have recharged and found an
abundance of time to accomplish chores and other tasks, finally make a famous TikTok or
reconnect with friends. According to the CDC, however, an optimistic estimate for this pandemic
shutdown to end is a couple of months from now, putting us in isolation until late May. How can
we maintain communication through all that time?
On Asbury’s campus, we see people pretty much every day. Our roommates, friends,
professors and chapel buddies become important parts of our lives. We make time to see them
and get to know their hearts. There is no reason this should not continue virtually. While video
chat is certainly not the same thing as in-person conversation, it is a substitute and will become
an increasingly common method of communication.
Over the last weeks, most students have done a good job. Several have posted Instagram
stories wanting people’s addresses in order to write encouraging notes. Others started an Asbury
Twitter March Madness bracket to keep our community engaged. Social media is full of pictures
of friends and small groups meeting together. This is wonderful, but it must also be sustainable.
As much as we hate to admit it, as we settle into our routines, this wholesome
communication will probably die down. While the sting of not being on campus will still mean
we miss friends, the general tendency will be to make less of an effort, especially if we let
ourselves get bogged down in the long period of isolation that awaits our entire world.
The level of communication maintained lately is probably not sustainable. We will still
have several hours of each day taken up by classwork, meals and, if you’re home, whatever your
mom tells you to do around the house. But please don’t let that discourage you from seeking real
connection with Asbury friends or even friends in your hometown.
This does not mean that you must spend every free second talking to a friend. But it does
mean that you set aside intentional time to connect with people, whether that be over class
content or just to maintain a friendship. Share jokes. Trade stories. FaceTime and include your
dogs in the chat. Let established routines stand. If you generally have dinner with a friend on
Monday nights, spend that time catching up about your week. If you have a movie night on
Fridays, use Netflix Party to watch something together.
Connection shouldn’t end just because life gets busy again. Connection shouldn’t fail
because of social distance or even quarantine. Make an effort to be an active participant in our
campus community, while still maintaining a healthy balance of schoolwork, family time and
personal rest. Let this be a season of communal and personal growth as we all learn to continue
connection with our Asbury family.