November 18th

A blessed Thursday to all,
There is terminology that has become a part of our present reality that did not exist a year ago. Among the new additions to our vocabulary is "Covid fatigue". The second word is easily understood but the first word has come on the scene in the recent months. The term refers to being tired: tired of being cooped up; tired of being careful; tired of being scared. The end result is that , according to some, carelessness has increased.  There are people who are so tired of the whole thing that they have stopped caring if they get COVID-19. They prefer to risk getting sick to staying home or being careful. Some have stopped listening to medical advise and updates.  There are tools to cope with this. These tools include exercise, honest conversations, constructive thinking and mindfulness and gratitude.  I noted that the secular world left out prayer, fellowship, and faith. 
The last three things I mentioned have perhaps taken on some new aspects such as zoom meetings, face time, and streaming worship services, but they are still a vital part of our existence.  Now more than ever we need to stay in touch with each other and reach out, perhaps in different ways than before, but still reach out.
However, there is another common thought going on at present that I wish to finish on today. That is the current political situation has exasperated the current public health challenges. Language is being generated from several quarters of our lives that gloomily bemoan we are entering a dark period as a nation.  Language that speaks of forced compromises to how we practice our faith; imposed restrictions that impede our religious freedoms; cultural attacks on Christian values; and pressure to shut up and go along.  Whether or not I fully agree on how dark things have gotten is not at issue here. It is not at issue because the perception that things have gotten dark is real and my opinion will not change that perception one way or the other.
Therefore, let me end with a question. When we walk into a room that is dark, what do we do? We either turn on a light switch or use a flashlight to light up the room. Jesus said in Luke 8:16 "No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light". Now more than ever, our light needs to shine. Our light, as individual children of God, and as a Christ's church, needs to be held high so that others can see the way out of the darkness.  Let us be a people who let the light of Christ shine and not a people that speak of the darkness. 
Blessings to all, Vic