i cannot escape thoughts of the effects of covid-19 on our lives. the absence of interaction with others outside my home, missing out on movies and concerts, not being able to go out to eat--all of these have left a hole in my life that is painful. yet there is much to be thankful for: my wife and i and our children are virus-free so far, there are only three confirmed cases of the virus in our county and just over one thousand in our state, the one person that we know who is infected appears to be recovering slowly in a hospital, our income is intact and our children can work from home. reminding myself of this helps to ease the fear of this scourge and the pain of isolation.
it seems that the price we are paying as a society is slowing the spread of the virus, though for many that price is terrible. what must it be like to have the worry of providing the necessities of life for oneself and one's family without a steady income on top of the toll of social isolation and anxiety about infection! now we hear the drumbeat of those who argue that the devastation closing down large swaths of the economy is too great, that we must begin easing the restrictions various levels of government have imposed to keep us safe. this past week, i was astounded to hear a close friend say that the media is making too much of this pandemic. he went to say that many of those who have died from the disease had other terminal illnesses that would have killed them anyway, so their deaths should not be counted in the total of deaths from the virus. i immediately knew that fox news was the source of his words, as he echoed a comment by bill o'reilly on a recent program on that network when the commentator said that many of those who had died from the virus were on their last legs anyway and so we shouldn't be too upset by their deaths. i was troubled by my friend's criticism of the media and his indifference to the suffering of those who have died and that of their families. these are the attitudes of those who clamor for opening up the economy and easing many of the restrictions that have slowed the progression of infection. they believe that financial well-being is more important that life itself. what is life worth if all around others are suffering and dying so that we have more money in our pockets? can't we bear some inconvenience and help each other out financially in order to allow more people to live through this?
one of the functions of government is to sustain us in times like these. it seems that there is agreement across party lines on this one issue, that it is the function of those in power to provide a lifeline to those in need during this time. if the executive branch of the federal government can soon figure out how to distribute the appropriations congress has passed, there should be income arriving in the hands of those who need it so desperately. maybe that will get us through this so that we can arrive at a point where it is safe to end the business closings and people can return to work. being too hasty to restart the economy is not the answer to our problem; doing this will only compound our dilemma.
may we stay the course until we reach the end of this terrible time. may we put people ahead of monetary gain. may we reach out to one another in whatever ways we can while using good judgment to keep ourselves safe. may those who are making great sacrifices and putting their lives at risk to care for the sick have the equipment they need. may we learn from the mistakes we have made in the early stages of this pandemic so that these lapses are not repeated. may we support one another rather than tearing others down. may we be filled with love and compassion and may we be well. shalom.
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