A Game-Changer of a Week

13 months into the Pandemic, a Week of Consequential Events have allowed me to finally glimpse life outside of the tunnel.  I have not reached the end of the tunnel, but I can see past the exit and begin to start making out what the post-pandemic world looks like.

7 days ago, I was preparing to get my 2nd Pfizer Coronavirus Shot. Of the members of my family, only my sister and a few of my in-laws had been fully vaccinated.  My parents had not even received a first shot, let alone a full vaccine.  Throughout my preparation for the 2nd shot, I was worried about a promise I had made to my parents. Would they listen to the pleas my older sister, Janet, and I had made to them? Could we finally get my parents to get the vaccine for a virus that was fatal, particularly among 80+ years olds like my parents are? Would I be able to see them one more time?

Ever since that apocalyptic nightmare come to life on the night of March 12th, 2020, I had approached life with a grim determination to try and slug through as best as I could.  As long as Liz and the kids were safe from the virus, I felt like I could do enough to prevent the virus from reaching me. Alot of my thinking was foolish, of course, but I felt like I could counter the increasing risk.  Mandating the wearing of masks helped in this cause, but never underestimate humanity's ability to counter scientific rational with irrational arrogance and stupidity.  I needed a simple way of remembering how to act in public in order to minimize my risk in contracting the coronavirus.

The answer to this was a method based on a Sermon series my local pastor had done in February, 2020. It was an acronym called C.A.R.E.  The acronym works like this:

C. - Confession/Contrition.  As a Lutheran, one of the first things we usually do in worship is confess our sins. It is our way of getting us in the mindset of worship.  Not only did I need to confess my sins before God, I needed to confess I was not in complete control of the situation.  God would determine my fate, and if I showed contrition and a willingness to do what it took to keep the virus personally at bay, maybe God would provide some good fortune.  
A. - Absolution.  The one part of the acronym that was totally out of my control.  I needed God's forgiveness and mercy to help clear my soul and head to know what to do in certain situations.
R. - Reconciliation. The hardest part of the acronym.  I needed to discern who was seeking the ability to reconcile and who was not.  If people were looking to listen and go back and forth with me in conversation and approach the situation with an open mind, that's who I wanted to speak with.  Those who had already made up their minds and who chose not to listen... I had to realize I am not going to reconcile with those people.  Stay aware from the heavy stuff with those people and focus more on light-hearted stuff.
E. - Empathy.  When I put on a mask, I make the assumption that I am an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus at all times. So it is my duty as a Christian to protect others.  I wear the mask in drive-thrus, sometimes when I am outside, anytime I enter a store or restaurant or church.  I wear it because my father taught me to do things like that. I also think of Jonah, Chapter 3 in the Bible... of how the people of Nineveh reacted to God's warning that the city was about to be destroyed... how they all tore their clothes and put on sackcloth and ash.  The mask has been my sackcloth and ash of sorts.  In a way, maybe God is trying to tell us to stop talking and start listening again. Listening is not a sign of weakness; it is a way to reach out and find out where others are hurting.  God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason after all.

For the better part of a year, C.A.R.E. is how I have operated.  It has not been perfect, but then again I am human. I have watched as others have mocked wearing of masks, not realizing it was the best option we had.  They have mocked lockdowns, not realizing that we need to buy time and figure out how to implement social distancing to minimize our chances of getting the virus.  Many felt indestructible; the virus has a 99% survivability, they claim.  But didn't Jesus say something looking out for the 1 over the 99 in the Gospels? And who is to say you are not going to be part of the 1?  I know people my age who are now or have been on life support because of this virus.  Their lives may never get back to normal... and those are the lucky ones.

As of this moment, this pandemic has produced the third highest pandemic death toll in US history and one of the Top 10 pandemic death tolls in Global History.  In the US, only the 1918 Flu Pandemic and the AIDS Pandemic (currently entering its 40th year) have produced higher death tolls.  Over 500000 deaths across a 365-day period of time.  It is nearly on par with heart disease and cancer deaths in the US.  And the thing is this disease is preventable, but we have failed to do the right things to keep the toll lower.

On Monday, as I got my 2nd Pfizer shot, I found out my parents had received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.  I am not worried about them developing blood clots;  I am just glad they are on their way to being immune soon. Yesterday, my wife got her first vaccine shot.  We are now planning a trip to GA this summer to see my parents.  Just because I will have maximum immunity does not mean I will avoid being responsible.  I can't hide from life forever; the vaccine helps me gain more confidence to get back to a semblance of normalcy.

The day is coming soon when the pandemic will be declared over.  That day will begin a celebration that we have not seen in a long time. A revitalization of the human spirit, blessed by God himself.  Think the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, but on a global scale.  Oh, it's going to be fun.  Yes, we will mourn the loss of life as well.  We will need to find out what went wrong and try to make sure we don't let this happen again.  That will come in time.  Also, there will be a reckoning among those leaders who failed to do what is right and protect as many lives as possible (for starters, I am looking at certain Evangelical Christian leaders in the US who were more concerned with filled pews and offering plates than serving and helping in this time of crisis... they have been exposed as fake shepherds).

For now, everyone needs to still do their part to reduce the virus' chances of spreading.  Social distancing, wear a mask, be smart and safe... even if you have been vaccinated.  We will get to the end of the tunnel soon.  The party will wait until we are ready.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a long-awaited family trip to GA to reschedule.