“In the time of Herod…” Luke’s gospel begins the story of Jesus’ birth with these words. It sounds like simply a timestamp—a historical reference to let us know when Jesus was born. But it’s much more than this.

What if someone began a story with, “In 2020…?“

It sounds like just a year. But for those of us who know—who lived through it, the year 2020 conjures up memories of a global pandemic and social distancing, civil unrest, social upheaval, a tumultuous presidential election, and prolonged uncertainty.

It was a time when the things we trusted to be steady suddenly weren’t—our routines, our work, our health, our plans, even our sense of safety.

The words, “In 2020…” are much more than a timestamp...