We have no magic wand that says, “OK, we’re just going to dismantle racism and be done with it.” We need consistent, systemic change that affects both all levels of society and the most profound parts of our souls. Here’s a universal life maxim: the dominants of any society always set the rules. True from the schoolroom to the boardroom, from the church council to the war room, from the prison cell to the palace. The person/group with the most... Read more
In other words, with all due respect to the Star Trek enemy collective named The Borg, “Resistance is futile; You will be infected.” Although most will be fine, we are going to lose beloved loved ones, both the elderly and our friends and relatives who are immunocompromised. We are going to see devastation among the lowest economic rungs of our society, and especially among the minority populations. We need a theology to deal with this. Perhaps a piece of chocolate... Read more
There is one, and only one, vital key to getting through this crisis: always, always work toward kindness in voice, tone, and touch. Such a move will not eliminate the craziness, but kindness is, thank goodness, amazingly contagious, perhaps even more so than the virus that causes COVID-19. I entered the front door after a good walk Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, the walls of our house closed in on me as the ever-beneath-the-surface claustrophobia unsheathed its destructive claws and tore into... Read more
Remember, Church: the stock market does matter to your survival. Embrace this perilous time as the best of all occasions to practice serious self and institutional reflection, repent from and leave behind encrusted habits and dysfunctional modes of operation, and see this as a different way to celebrate Easter. I’ve seen a lot of dismissive comments about how silly it is to worry about the stock market while the pandemic is raging. Why? It is obviously more important to contain... Read more
Are older people useless? Well, Dan Patrick thinks so. My husband turned 78 today. Does Lt. Gov. Patrick want him to die? I suggest that killing off the older people, the repository of massive amounts of wisdom and healing energy, may not be the best way to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. My husband is 78 years old today; clearly one of the older people and Dan Patrick wants him to die. Yes, Dan Patrick, the Republican Lt. Gov. of Texas,... Read more
If we are not going to leave the children out in this new world of necessary mediated worship, we must engage in extremely creative, barrier-breaking holy thinking. Remember the novel coronavirus crisis will leave both church and society forever changed. Nothing will ever be the same again. I wrote much of what is below years ago, but never, for some reason, hit the “publish” button. However, in light of what is happening in the US right now, and my real... Read more
Who knew going to the grocery store could be so treacherous? I lay out the game plan on the way home: Take the bags in; careful handwashing. Take the groceries out, toss the bags, repeat the handwashing. But, of course, it dawns on me later that everything we bought still has been touched by at least three people: the person(s) who restocks shelves, the cashier, AND the bagger. What pathogens might linger? Who knew just going to the grocery store... Read more
Will your church survive? Not in the form it is in now. Some budgets cannot recover, mainly if we stay in recession mode for a while. Unpaid mortgages could easily lead to many buildings going back to lenders, although most lenders will probably make drastic moves to keep that from happening. Church staff will see massive layoffs. And people will discover the joys of relaxed Sunday mornings. As I continue with my morning habit of reading the print news, I’m... Read more
And yet, I understand the “Get it while we can” urge. Scarcity has been part of human existence from the beginning. There is always something scarce. But we leave out the poor, the hungry, and the naked. They can’t get it at all. I nearly went under while reading the newspapers today. An article about what the novel coronavirus does to the body finally put me over the edge. I put down the newspapers, tidied the kitchen, and headed outside.... Read more
I do not find the “just trust God” mantra helpful. Anyone who is not alarmed is just nuts. It’s not just our health care situation; it is a fractured economy. Millions are going to be out work, many small (and large) businesses will not survive; countless people will be thrust suddenly and quickly into poverty. The news gets consistently worse. Some epidemiologists predict that the US is only about ten days behind Italy, where the medical profession and hospitals are... Read more
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