The COVID-19 stay-at-home orders are relaxing and more people are getting back to their normal routines. Everyone, including the news outlets, seem to have forgotten that the plan was to loosen safety cautions depending on the number of active cases going down.
Active cases of the virus are actually going up, not down. Yet here in our part of Texas some people are once again meeting together in churches or other gathering places — with no masks and no social distancing. They say “I don’t have it — no symptoms!” They don’t seem to understand the threat of being asymptomatic: actually contracting the virus yet exhibiting no symptoms. And being fully able to unknowingly infect someone else. Hand shakes and hugs can be deadly!
Or they say they haven’t been anywhere to catch it — yet they groceries, pump gas, and eat out or pick up take-out. Not knowing who was there before them. The point is that as we start to get out more, we need to remember to stay safe ourselves and care about others enough to practice safety measures around them. Wear the stupid mask, stay 6 feet away, and wave if they can’t see your smile.
I drew the sketch of a mask while sitting in a parking lot, waiting as Bill bought more supplies for his new woodshop. Construction projects are considered “essential” and Bill is doing much of the work himself (with the help of our boys). But he wears his mask, stays away from people as much as he’s able to, and washes his hands. He also does his work in the barn after the contractor’s crews have gone home for the day. Or early in the day before they show up.
Please continue to stay safe, everyone. Be still and trust the Lord until this calamity passes us by.
Although our figures have been extremely low in comparison to other countries, people have been careless and are growing even more so as the authorities have begun easing some restrictions slowly and cautiously with a long list of protocols and precautions and guidelines for each sector that has been allowed to reopen.
ReplyDeleteOh where is the simple humanity, the simple compassion and the simply practice of adherence to rules, regulations and advice all designed to save lives?
During the worldwide influenza outbreak of 1918 (which killed my great-grandparents and left my grandmother and her siblings orphans) and the deprivations of the two world wars, there was a sense that we were all in this together, of working together and looking out for each other until we get through it.
DeleteSadly, there is a lot of selfishness in today’s attitudes. How does this affect Me and I’ll do whatever I want — with no thought about how I might be harming others.
What upset me most was my own church. Most area churches are still closed, being one of the most dangerous environments for contagions. Our own church is very small and they started meeting again. We knew there was space to socially distance so we decided to go. And found that, not only are they NOT sitting apart or wearing masks — they are hugging and touching each other like there’s no danger at all! I mentioned it was a bad idea so they quit hugging me but kept hugging Bill — who’s immune system was compromised by all the IV drugs he had taken for the cat bite infection.
We have not returned to church — it just is not safe. We love those people but truly loving means doing whatever is needed to keep them safe.
It's really sad about the great grand parents and grandparents.
DeleteChurch were given the all-clear to reopen last Thursday with a long list of protocols to observe. From news reports it seems as if most have complied. KUDOS to them. My church hasn't opened. We are renting a hall for services so we have limited control of what the landlord will put in place.
We received a very short, very impersonal text from the pastor (via forwarded WhatsApp message:
... landlord has reached out to him (no details)
... services will resume first Sunday in July (no mention of governments list of protocols)
... hoping that all restrictions will be lifted by then ....
Leads me to suspect that the attitudes and behaviour may be similar to what you experienced at your church. My husband's and my reaction will be the same as yours, if we see the same issues when we do go. It is not a good testimony at all.
If only all churches would choose to follow protocols and not see it as a government intrusion of their rights!
DeleteWe miss our church family. But we are protecting them as much as ourselves by distancing ourselves for the time being.