…Dr. Fauci (earlier today) on CNN: “If you look now, we’re starting to see glimmers than (social distancing) is actually having some dampening effect.”
It’s nice to hear that staying close to home might be having a dampening effect on the spread of this disease. Because staying at home isn’t easy. It’s boring, for one thing. And for those of us who have family, we never planned to be this closely together, all the time. Even when things are good, they’re hard. And when they’re not good, they’re really hard.
St. Paul tells us that “suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” .. (Romans 5:3-5) But the only folks I know who want to grow in this way are athletes. It’s not our chosen path; however, it turns out it is our path these days. This time separated from our world is facing us with difficult questions. We don’t yet know what our answers will be. So keep on enduring, and hold onto your hope.
Today’s Boston Globe writes of the challenge of “stay or go” for our Florida people. You might want to read it here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/31/nation/stay-or-go-home-snowbirds-agonizing-dilemma/ but it won’t give anyone a definitive “this is the right answer”. It will only give you things to think about. One note: remember that, if you’re driving north through New Jersey, in that state you can’t fill your own gas tank. This means you won’t touch the nasty nozzle handle, but you will have to talk with the person who comes out to fill your tank.
We don’t know how long this will go on, but we do know that we’ve carried on through other epidemics and disasters. Just because our building is closed does not mean we are not a church; in fact, now we are free to see how important each one of us is.
And now for the local news:
Nancy MacNeill wants to thank those of you who’ve sent in your checks to help keep our church going. Our building is closed, but we are still operating, and your offerings are welcome. Ann Marie, our church secretary is no longer coming into the office, but David is still deep cleaning in the Hall. The building is doing well.
As always, Donald Hall remains in our prayers. He’s at Nemasket Healthcare Center, 314 Marion Road, Middleboro MA 02346 and his cell phone number is 508-930-0051. His kidneys are failing and he is on hospice care. In this holy time, he welcomes your cards.
If you have a prayer concern feel free to send it in to be included in this daily email.
And to close, a piece of foolishness to lighten our hearts, from a housebound family in England:
https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/quarantined-family-one-day-more-les-mis-parody/
Blessings,
Pastor Virginia
To Believe is to Care. . . To Care is to Do 