I admit it: something broke in me, irrevocably broke, after I learned that Mr. Trump, upon his release from the hospital on Monday, tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid.” From the newsflash in the October 5 evening online edition of the Washington Post: President Trump returned to the White House from the hospital on Monday, saying that he had recovered from the novel coronavirus and that people should not be afraid of a disease that has killed more than 209,000... Read more
In the world of talionic justice, Mr. Trump deserves to get Covid-19. Frankly, there is some real satisfaction in knowing that the virus finally caught up with him. It’s silly to pretend otherwise. Nonetheless, I pray for him. Many years ago, deep into my seminary studies, I learned the term “talionic justice.” Do you remember the phrase, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?” That’s the basic idea of talionic justice: whatever pain you have inflicted... Read more
Even the smallest of children echo the longings of our eloquent peasant and seek justice and truth. They know when something is unfair, when someone gets a larger portion than deserve, when the Golden Rule has been violated, when hypocrisy reigns. I realize that most of us are not exactly into reading translations from hieroglyphic writings of ancient Egyptian morality tales, but I did do exactly that, spending several hours reading Loren R. Fisher’s translation of The Eloquent Peasant, an... Read more
We could have, and should have, slowed the murderous progression of this virus from the very beginning, but we watched as Trump tweeted and the world burned. It’s all ver the news on this day, Sept 9, 2020. Snippets of a book written by investigator Bob Woodward, taken from taped interviews that President Trump granted him in 2020, have leaked everywhere. The big one: Mr. Trump knew from the very beginning how very, very dangerous the virus that causes Covid-19... Read more
Jesus said, “let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” Following through on promises counts–don’t make them if you can’t keep them. Truth frees; lies enslave. Late in 2019, I entered the joy of multiple experiences with troubling customer service. We were finishing up a long, wonderful cruise (with superb customer service!) when it all began with some overly exuberant gift shopping for our large combined family. We faced a significant packing dilemma–as in, “Ain’t no way to... Read more
Will the church survive the Covid-19 damage? Probably not. But the massive uncertainties that just about the entire world now faces also call for massive infusions of creativity, hope, service, and rebirth. I continue to ponder the long-term aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health, and even survival, of churches. Will it survive the Covid-19 damage? As an avid reader of business news, I am aware that, while some businesses are thriving because of the crisis, myriads of others... Read more
Am just wondering: do you see the same pattern I see as I consider our essential workers? Effectively, they are the lowest paid and lowest status people around. Most have little job security; many are poorly treated by their far-better-paid bosses. I am not essential to the well-being of the world. That’s been my fascinating insight from the last few months of Covid-life. Who is essential? Let’s start with sanitation crews. Who is essential? Well, very possibly the most critical... Read more
The “Devil made me do it” becomes the theological basis for conspiracy theories. They are immensely comforting, thus the power of QAnon. I’ve managed to ignore this whole QAnon conspiracy stuff, staying safely cocooned in my protected world of minimal TV news, selected world-class newspaper reading, and a lack of interest in knowing more. But, a Religion News Service article caught my eye–with its suggestion that QAnon theories were making their way into the Evangelical wing of Christianity. Here’s just... Read more
First, we are all going to die. Second, most of us will not die the way we would like to. Third, by denying touch, we condemn our elderly to the worst of all deaths. We may as well put them behind barbed wire and acknowledge that we have imprisoned them. I’ve read one too many news reports now about the lockdowns of nursing homes, and their insistence that those vulnerable elderly no longer receive visits from family members other than... Read more
Yes, Dear COVID Diary, it has been 132 long days. And I expect little change for the next 132 days. Fear hangs in the air, occasionally relieved by puffs of hope of effective vaccines on the horizon. And I pray, morning, night, and in-between. I pray my way across the world, across our nation, across my friends and family. I read history and remember that bad things have always been a part of the human condition, and this is just... Read more
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