“Receive the Spirit poured out on all Creation
receive the Spirit who gives life
receive the Spirit who brings joy”
The US has reached over 14 million Covid-19 cases and set a new daily record of 2,777 coronavirus related deaths today. Several states are imposing and re-imposing precautionary restrictions, attempting to restrain and even reduce the rate of infections. Our primary concern is that hospitals are again on the brink of being overwhelmed. We do not want a situation where ICUs are filled to capacity, medical professionals are depleted and ready to drop, and seriously ill patients are turned away for lack of room, for lack of personnel — turned away to die. We do not want to see those refrigerated trucks parked outside hospitals again ready to receive the bodies of those who die.
At the same time as the above we daily witness individuals who flout and jeer at the simplest precautionary measures, such as wearing a mask, washing hands, and keeping socially distant. None of these simple measures are difficult and they cause no harm to us who follow them. They are at most mild irritants. For that reason it is difficult to understand the outrage some persons express when asked to put on a mask.
There is something within us humans that is delicately balanced. We can easily be tipped one way or another — toward life or toward death. The way toward death seems easier somehow. It turns out we need inner strength, power, and courage to stay true to the narrow path of light and life. We need to be heroes for each other using our gifts of perseverance and courage with and for each other to stay on the path of life. As the months pile up and restrictions become tiresome, we are all tempted to give up and let go of the call to take care. We are tired of it all, so this is exactly the moment for courage and perseverance.
Each day we are faced with the choice to choose the side of life or to choose the side of death, to choose to care for others or to be careless, to choose to assist or to resist the efforts we are asked to take for the common good. The gift of free choice makes it possible for each of us to choose life or death.
My beloved ones, choose life and hang in there. Peace and perseverance.
Bishop Kedda
Bishop Kedda 