|
Then, when you see the ravages of this virus decimating
nursing homes, dividing families, depleting resources as
millions are out of work and a faltering federal government
that cannot even keep pace with minimal management of this
crisis and you wonder…
And then, when you see world-wide airline travel being
plagued by red ink everywhere because people are scared of
traveling for fear of falling a victim to this small but
mighty virus, you begin to wonder…
And when you see the decimation of employment rolls in
the USA and the corollary effects worldwide and the angst
that it is causing in families, school systems and the
marginalized becoming more marginalized, you got to wonder…
When leadership is gasping for air as to how to combat
and defeat this evasive and mutative virus and the death
toll is predicted to rise and rise each week and month, you
need to wonder…
When people are flagging for lack of faith and are in
the grips of depression and anxiety about when will this all
end and when can we go about without a nagging fear that, “I
may be next”, you should wonder…
The wonder is, is this a sign of how small and ill
prepared we are as humans to control our environment and of
the arrogance in which we have managed our natural resources
or have neglected to do basic husbandry work of sharing and
caring for the bounty that we take for granted?
The wonder is, is this a sign that shows us that our
greed, neglect and coarseness of feelings towards one
another is taking a toll on our civility and that this virus
is causing us to re-think and to re-group about principles
of what is fair and just for all and that sharing is really
a good thing?
Is this a time that the social protests of inhuman
police practices and how the nigh unchecked rampaging of the
Covid-19 is ripping off society’s mask of denial and showing
greed and corruption?
Will this cause people and governments to pause and
understand that we are not the masters of the universe as we
have deluded ourselves to believe we are?
In all of what has transpired and what will transpire,
does the collective nation ever turn its anxious thoughts to
God to find out, “What Meaneth This?”
Or, do we blithely pursue our preset goals and agendas
of only working ourselves back to a pre-normal and pre
COVID-19 society and treat this pandemic as a speed bump in
our pell-mell rush to exterminate the unpleasantness of this
pandemic and to go on to the next catastrophe?
From my vantage point, I do not see a national leader of
a religious stature that can command the attention of a
divided nation and call those polarities to a time of
fasting and prayer.
A time that instead of simply monitoring our shut down
time as an exercise of punishment, that it is used to
sharpen our spiritual focus and seek the face of God and to
inquire, “What should we do and how have we failed.”
A nation that vaingloriously tells itself that it is One
Nation Under God, is lying through its gold-plated teeth if
the first order of business is not to seek the face of God
and to pray for national repentance and for an end to this
plague.
But not just an end to this “teaching” plague but also
wisdom to walk the right path of justice, fairness and
compassion for the least of all those who occupy planet
Earth with us.
Yeah, yeah…I know. People do not want you to get
spiritual on them and much less tell them that they are not
in control of world events (as they like to think) but
rather taking a road of humility and collective prayer can
bring dramatic breakthroughs for people and nations who are
willing to forsake foolish pride and take a knee before God.
I know, I know. Will God listen and hear such contrite
prayers? In a simple word: Yes.
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com
|
