Morning Prayers address by Patti Bellinger, Chief of Staff, Office of the President, Harvard University. (Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell/Memorial Church Communications)
Words spoken each morning in Appleton Chapel during Morning Prayers provide a deep and vivid reflection of the complicated world inside and beyond the gates of Harvard Yard. As the reality of a global coronavirus pandemic gripped this nation, this city and this university, many speakers turned their thoughts and attention to this unseen specter uprooting, shuttering and challenging our society. The following is a collection of Morning Prayers recorded in the past two weeks, sometimes to an empty chapel because of University's efforts to prevent transmission of the virus. Five Speakers, One Virus, Many Words of Faith and Hope.
Patti Bellinger
Chief of Staff, Office of the President, Harvard University
"Things come together and then they fall apart. As the wave of this new illness was washed up on our shores and the impact is felt here, as it has been felt in other communities around the world, I've noticed that each of us confronts this challenge differently, often in accordance with our individual personalities, our risk tolerance, our sense of self. Some are rocked, some are stoic. All of our hands are increasingly dry from vigorous washing and sanitizing."
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Diana Eck
Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Member of the Faculty of Divinity, Harvard Divinity School
"May we bow often as we behold the willow and the crocus. May we be filled with gratitude, for the abundance of this very life, and together, may we pray..."
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Jasmine Brown
2020 Nieman Fellow, Harvard University
"Today, as fear and uncertainty of the Coronavirus grows, panic feels closer than peace. Now, at a time when many need it most, human touch is prohibited and isolation surrounds some in their final days. Where is the harmony now? In these uncertain times, where does one find peace? The bible tells us that when we walk with God, we don't have to look that far."
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Ann Braude
Senior Lecturer on American Religious History Director of the Women's Studies in Religion Program, Harvard Divinity School
"I greet you this morning looking out at the empty pews of Appleton Chapel, missing the encouraging faces of those who choose to start their day by coming together in this space. Morning Prayers is a practice that has resisted change and modern technology, reminding us of the way the Harvard community has gathered for centuries to share a text, a musical offering, and reflection. I am honored to be speaking to you on this very difficult day, the day after we learned that because of the coronavirus, classes will be offered online, and that gatherings like Morning Prayers cannot take place in person."——
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Grace Killian MDiv III
Seminarian, Memorial Church, MDiv III, Harvard Divinity School
"In the last few days, I have struggled to know what to say. I am sure I am not alone in this experience. In some ways it feels like we have been inundated with noise and the flurry of emails so many of us have received about the Corona virus over the last several days. So much necessary practical information has been shared, but it seems we often lack something deeper. Something that speaks to how we are feeling. Scared, disoriented, isolated. The list goes on."
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