I am thankful that I was and am working in Healthcare and we were deemed essential workers. Our office environment looked differently and some worked from home but we were able to work.
Fast forward 3 years, several doses of Covid vaccinations later, lots of lost PTO due to low census, many variations of mask designs and costs, a great deal of fake news, live streaming masses (the good and not so good outcomes), and so many closed businesses worldwide. What did the worldwide lockdown really achieve?
Fear. We have all become afraid of everything. If we hear a co-worker sneeze more than once, fear; if we hear the words covid positive, fear; if the media mentions a new virus, fear. What are we afraid of? Getting sick? Dying? Losing an elderly relative? Living? These are not new fears. They are as old as time itself. But these fears have been intensified by the government, the mainstream media, and social media. I, for one, am tired of living in fear. I will not be silenced. I will not be told where I can and cannot go and I will not be kept from my parish community ever again.
If you haven't come back to your community, do it now! Wear a mask of you need or want to. Do it on your terms. But just do it. We miss you!
God did not create us for fear, he created us for love. Love is a physical emotion that includes touch. Hug your family and your friends. Shake hands during the sign of peace. Be the physical person God intended you to be.
We all must die, fact. When it is our time, we will die, fact. God is in control so.....
Be not afraid!
