Day 299 | Tuesday, 12 January 2021

Day 299 - Audio Version

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Day 299 | Tuesday, 12 January 2021

 The month seems to be moving along rather fast and yet it seems like the assault on our Capitol was a long time ago.  As I mentioned on Sunday, our anxiety level increased last Wednesday.  Our focus has been on how unbelievable this event has been to Democracy.  There are many people who need to take responsibility for what led up to this terrible day.
 In my mind, the number one problem is misinformation.  As many have said since then, leaders just need to tell the truth.  As we continue to internalize the changes taking place in our democracy, there is also the continuing battle with the Corona Virus.  We have had days where four thousand people plus have died each day due to COVID-19.

          There are areas in our country that are epicenters of this virus.  As a former EMT of 15 years, I have been trying to wrap my head around hospitals telling first responders that they have no room and that they either have to go someplace else or the responders now are forced to make choices as to who has a chance to survive and who does not.  This puts some individuals between a rock and a hard place.

          I don’t want to become complacent when it comes to the numbers of cases and deaths due to COVID-19.  We are approaching one year of this pandemic here in our country.  In that time, around 376,000 souls have died, and we are approaching 23 million cases.  Thank God for the researchers who have developed the vaccine.  In the county the numbers are now: 5,010 cases with 715 active, 3,003 in isolation, 44 deaths, 1,316 in Jamestown, 914 Dunkirk, 640 Fredonia, 196 Lakewood, 161 Bemus and 169 in Frewsburg.

           It seems to me today that it is time to hear from Ecclesiastes chapter 3.

 "There is a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens:

a time for giving birth and a time for dying,

a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,

a time for killing and a time for healing,   

a time for tearing down and a time for building up,

a time for crying and a time for laughing,

a time for mourning and a time for dancing,

a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,

a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,

a time for searching and a time for losing,

a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,

a time for tearing and a time for repairing,

a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,

a time for loving and a time for hating,

a time for war and a time for peace."

 What this passage tells us is that there are realities in life that confront all of us, but these realities are in God's time, not ours.  God does invade our experiences and fills them with God's presence, grace and meaning.  God brings God's presence into each and every experience of life as well as bringing God's peace.
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 Holy God, our experiencing life as we have known it has changed dramatically.  Help us to remember that you are present in all our experiences of life and that you bring us peace.  We need to feel your presence and peace during this time in our lives.  This is a time for us to rely on our faith in your continuous, ever strengthening love.  Be present with us today.  Amen