You may have noticed, but this is a tough time, not just in our country, but in our world. We tend to focus on where we are, but other countries are also struggling with COVID-19, some more successfully than others.
But it’s more than a health issue. The economy is struggling, because businesses were shut down; some temporarily, others will never reopen. That’s not just hard on the owner; the employees suffer without an income. Their clients must find another resource.
What underlies all this, however (and yes, I’m thinking political here), is the split in our country. This is more than “us” vs. “them” on one issue. There are so many issues tied together. … And “we” know that “we” are justified, but “they” are not.
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Thinking or preaching?
What do we do about it? (Now I’m going to preach.)
We are facing a crisis, not just in this country but all around the world.
Where I live, when a fire comes through and takes out houses and barns and livestock, everyone comes together and helps fight the fire. It does not matter if we are neighbors. It does not matter if we are not on speaking terms. It does not matter if we are male or female. Race does not matter. Occupation does not matter. Religion (or lack thereof) does not matter. What matters is putting out the fire. We know that if the fire takes their place and we do not try to stop it, then our place may be next.
Folks, all our places are in danger. If theirs burns up, ours will be next. So grab your buckets, your gloves, your shovels, and let’s get together. Vaccinations and socially distancing protect everyone, not just me, not just you.
If not now, when? What will be left? Is that worth thinking about?
No Man Is an Island
Joan Baez sang this song back in the 60’s and 70’s. We faced difficult times then with a country divided. The message still matters today. The song was inspired by a free-verse poem that John Donne wrote based on a line in his meditations (1624).
No Man Is an Island
(sung by Joan Baez)
No man is an island, No man stands alone, Each man's joy is joy to me, Each man's grief is my own. We need one another, So I will defend, Each man as my brother, Each man as my friend. I saw the people gather, I heard the music start, The song that they were singing, Is ringing in my heart. No man is an island, Way out in the blue, We all look to the one above, For our strength to renew. When I help my brother, Then I know that I, Plant the seed of friendship, That will never die.
No Man Is an Island
(poem by John Donne, 1572-1631)
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends`s or of thine own were. Any man`s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.