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set in a police precinct in Brooklyn, NY. The humor helps balance out some of the sad images we see on the evening news. One episode we watched has stuck with me. In it, one of the detectives decides to flee the country when it becomes obvious that she is going to be convicted of a crime she did not commit. Her captain tries to convince her to stay for the sake of her family; she tells him she is not close to her family. He corrects her misunderstanding - when he uses the word family, he is speaking of the other members of the force on which she serves. They are an odd ball group. While she does not feel particularly close to any one of them, she realizes she belongs to them. She does not run away - and ends up going to prison.
When my non-Catholic husband and I married, we decided to go to church in a denomination that was new to each of us. It seemed reasonable to compromise; I truly did not think God would mind. Yet I found that I missed something about the Catholic community. It wasn’t the sacraments or liturgies as much as some of the people. I have always found a few odd balls (at least odd to my way of thinking) in every Catholic church I have attended. Like the police detective, I realize I belong in a community that makes allowances for odd balls. Acceptance of differences is essential to family life.
As a congregation, we are going through a difficult time - this sheltering at home can feel a bit like prison at times. One thought that brings me comfort during this time - we belong to each other.