Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

covid19

2020 in a Single Word = ________

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What word would you use to sum up 2020?

When you’re sitting down with your not-yet-born children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren, what are you going to say about 2020? And when you read through the not-yet-written history books outlining the COVID-19/coronavirus global pandemic of 2020, what lens will you be looking through? What word will you be searching for?

Unprecedented?

Interruption?

Change?

Pivot?

In 2020, according to Google, the phrase “Why?” was searched more than ever before:

  • Why is the NBA postponed?
  • Why is Parasite so good?
  • Why am I so tired?
  • Why are schools closed?
  • Why is toilet paper sold out?
  • Why is March so long?
  • Why is Australia burning?
  • Why is the sky orange?
  • Why are so many people dying?
  • Why is empathy important?
  • Why are people protesting?
  • Why do black lives matter?
  • Why are we not defeated?
  • Why is the election so divisive?
  • Why is democracy important?
  • Why do people dream?

For me, the word of 2020 is LOSS.

This past year was a year of loss.

2020 was filled with more loss than anyone should ever experience—not just in a year, but in a lifetime:

  • The loss of life
  • The loss of health
  • The loss of jobs
  • The loss of finances
  • The loss of stability
  • The loss of normal
  • The loss of in-person
  • The loss of touch
  • The loss of trust
  • …and for many the loss of hope

Underneath the surface of the earth, there are cracks (or fault lines) everywhere.

Although they’re not necessarily visible to the eye, they are there. And it’s only when there’s an earthquake, that we realize what’s been there all along underneath the surface—the cracks.

Well, for many, 2020 was the year where we came face to face with the cracks in our lives.

2020 was the year where we came face to face with the cracks in our lives.
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The “earthquake” of this global pandemic, its shutdowns, and its ensuing effects revealed what was already there underneath the surface all along—the cracks:

  • The cracks in your marriage
  • The cracks in the way you deal with stress
  • The cracks in your family relationships
  • The cracks at work
  • The cracks in your finances
  • The cracks in your faith
  • …and the cracks in your identity

Everything that you used to place your identity in—when things were “normal”—was shaken, tested, and (for some) stripped away this past year:

  • If you lost your job and felt unrooted, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are what you do”
  • If your vacation plans were interrupted and you threw yourself a pity party, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are what you experience”
  • If the loss of in-person gatherings with friends, at work, with family, at church, or wherever else for that matter, sunk you into a deep hole of depression, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are who you know”
  • If you were incessantly searching for COVID-19 stats, obsessing over the news, or found yourself chasing after any one of the countless number of conspiracy theories from this past year, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are what you know”
  • If you were hoarding toilet paper, or found yourself shopping on Amazon way more than you usually do, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are what you own”
  • If you were humble bragging over your ability to simultaneously teach your children and work at home, or refused to post anything because your kids were on electronics all day long, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are who you raise”
  • If you were, and are still, trying your darnedest to get back to the way things used to be before COVID-19 because life was better back then, it’s because you believe the lie that “you are your past”

Friends, none of this is supposed to shame you or give you a guilt trip…

…but if you found yourself nodding to any of the previous bullet points (like me) it’s because 2020 merely revealed the cracks that were already there underneath the surface.

Everything that you used to place your identity in—when things were “normal”—was shaken, tested, and (for some) stripped away this past year.
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The point of this article is to simply help you uncover what is, so that you can move forward in 2021 to what will be:

A life that is not characterized by the loss that comes when we live bound to the chains of these lies, but a life that is free and full when we replace these lies with the truth of who we really are.

So in 2021, I want to invite you into a journey of discovering which of these seven lies you’ve lived according to and how to lay them down by reading my book, You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies About Work, Life, and Love. In my book, I carefully unpack the many ways we often believe each of these seven lies, the unintended consequences when we live according to them, and how to break free from them.

Let’s together choose a life of resistance.

The kind of resistance that opts for love over hate, light over darkness, forgiveness over shame, and generosity over greed.

The kind of resistance that uncovers who we aren’t, so that we can begin the journey of discovering who we really are.

And the kind of resistance that begins with the truth that you are not what you do, you are not what you experience, you are not who you know, you are not what you know, you are not what you own, you are not who you raise, and you are not your past.

I will choose a life of resistance. The kind of resistance that opts for love over hate, light over darkness, forgiveness over shame, and generosity over greed.
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Pivoting and Planning in a New Day of Mission

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When we moved back to Canada last year, one of the first things that I did with my wife was sign up for a gym membership. When Christina and I were figuring out which gym to join, one of the sales associates decided to go with the “personalized” approach to try to “tailor” what his gym offered to our needs.

Anyway, he started with Christina and asked her what her goals were and why she wanted to join the gym. She said things like, “I’m thinking about doing a marathon,” “I want to stay healthy,” and other reasons along those lines. With quite the approving head nod, he wrote down her answers, made a few encouraging comments, and then turned to me. How about you Daniel?

I still remember his reaction to this day. When he heard my answer, it was utter shock. In fact, he stumbled over his words—not quite as long as Prime Minister Trudeau did when he was asked about President Trump’s response regarding the protests—but it was something like that.

“Chips. I love eating chips. I also love smoking meat on my BBQ. I just love eating. That’s pretty much the only reason I’m working out.”

Alright, so what’s the point?

We ended up joining the gym that day, and for several months, I made the commitment to not go into work until I first went to the gym—even if it was for only 30 minutes.

While I didn’t hit that goal 100% of the time, I actually did quite well.

For the first time in my life, I was working out more than once a week! My body, my health, and how I physically, mentally, and emotionally felt was the best it had ever been. And then COVID-19 hit. And then the gyms closed. And then grocery shopping got a little more complicated. (But, fear not, I still had my chips!)

In that moment, instead of hunkering down and just waiting for things to go back to normal, Christina and I decided to pivot and figure out a new rhythm and routine for exercise.

Pivot. Doesn’t it seem like the word of the year?

Although it seems like everyone and their mom are using this word, it really does encapsulate what we’ve had to do over these past few months. It’s either pivot or die.

Pivot or Die.
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There’s no going back to pre-COVID days. Yes, COVID-19 will eventually fade away, but it’s so deeply changed the fabric of our society and the way “church” looks, that even when we’re gathered together again it will be different.

It’s kind of like how Jesus interacted and ministered with his disciples pre-resurrection versus post-resurrection.

Let’s think about that for a moment.

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Bold Confidence

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I love seeing the world through the eyes of my 5 year old son.

When we’re together, he feels like he’s invincible. When he’s with me, he has the confidence to stand up to anyone—regardless of their size or age. It’s like he thinks he’s superman or something.

It’s like something inside of him changes when he knows that I’m there. He stands a bit taller, walks with his head up, and isn’t afraid to speak. It’s as if there’s this bold confidence that seems to well up from within him when he knows that I’m there…together with him.

I think this is what the David is referring to here in Psalm 27. Here are the first six verses.

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