Hope in a Dark Time

photo by Thomas Cizanskas / flikr

In this strange time when nobody knows about the future— i looked up the number of people affected in England during the Second World War. We know that bombs fell on England by the Germans for over 70 consecutive days. What most of us forget is that:

2 million homes were destroyed during that war.

2 1/4 million people were made homeless.

45,000 civilians lost their lives, including 8000 children.

These days I keep remembering a story that Frederick Buechner told toward the end of those war days. He said that in many of those craters gashed out by bombs, the bombs unearthed seeds of flowers that had been buried some for over a century. Flowers of all kinds began to sprout up and bloom over those bombed-out places. Botanists discovered there were over 150 different variety of flower seeds unearthed by those bombs. 

We now know the people of England not only survived but rebuilt their country. Visiting today we can scarcely see scars of those terrible days.We do not know how long our pandemic will last but I remember during these day of death and suffering and hospitalizations in England the flowers that covered many off those bombed-out places.

The history of the world tells the story of plagues, epidemics, black death and so many other horrors. So we must not lose heart. Let us remember the flowers that bloomed in those gashes made by bombs of the enemy. If the scarred landscape has recovered from the war’s violence, can a country, or a person, heal in the same way?

 Christian Prayer for the Nation

God of ages,

in your sight nations rise and fall, 

and pass through times of peril.

Now when our land is troubled,

be near to judge and save.

 May leaders be led by your wisdom; 

may they search your will and see it clearly. 

If we have turned from your way,

help us to reverse our ways and repent.

Give us your light and your truth to guide us;

through Jesus Christ, 

who is Lord of this world, and our Savior. Amen

—Presbyterian Church, USA

photo by Bill Barber / flikr

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com

Jesus: A Prayer for our Time

As I walked into the Basilica Familia in Barcelona I stopped at the entrance and saw etched in stone name after name. But in the center was a name I knew. I touched the word that said: Jesus. It was carved into that stone over and over. Unlike the other names this one particular word had been touched so many times by those who passed into the church. As I gently touched the name I remembered not only my name and my needs. But in touching I lifted up my wife and children and so many, many out there that need what Jesus promised to us all.

The temple was designed by the great architect Antoni Gaudi.  The Church was named: Sagrada Familia and the cornerstone was laid in 1853. Even after all these years the church is not completed. How many thousands of people have touched that sacred name and lifted up their own prayer needs these 167 years.

In this hard time we are encouraged to practice mindfulness. One of the oldest prayers of the Church was simply one word: Jesus. Over and over believers would whisper this single name. They would lift up the longings of their hearts and world in this one-word prayer: Jesus. We don't have to spell out all our needs, Jesus can sort them out one by one. 

"Since we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may rerceive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
                                                       --Hebrews 4. 15-16

photo by Via Tsuji / flickr

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com

Do We Care about Schools and Teachers in 2020?

photo by You Belong in Longmont / flikr

What a strange thing when we politize it looks like everything. Science. Truth telling. Crowd size. Masks. CDC. On and on we could go. But I keep scratching my head about the opening and closing of schools. We've been here before during the temptuous Civil rights days. Finally we got through that--sorta. But now as the Coronavirus rages across the country we have been told that we must open the schools or the children will be scarred irreparably. Really? What about all those brown-skin children ripped from their parents and caged like animals. Any scars there? Maybe they don't count. Who knows?

We are told that most children will be immune to this cursed virus. I hope so. But what about the teachers? They have always been on the back of the bus but NOW? We put all of our teachers at great risk when we open the classroom doors this fall.  Not to speak of the children.

Having a daughter who has been a lifetime teacher--and a good one--I am concerned about her safety and everybody's teachers. Are we going to ignore all these heroes who get up early day after day and come to school, open the doors and smile as the kids come rushing in? What about them? There are a whole lot of subjects that do not need politicizing. Tim Willis, my partner in theological crimes--and more--raises some uncomfortable questions about schools, teachers and students.  Read this article brimming with questions that need desperately to be addressed. --RL

Tim S. Willis

23 hrs  · 

Critical and important questions that need to be asked:

Betsy DeVos, we have a few questions for you:

• If a teacher tests positive for COVID-19 are they required to quarantine for 2-3 weeks? Is their sick leave covered, paid?

• If that teacher has 5 classes a day with 30 students each, do all 150 of those students need to then stay home and quarantine for 14 days?

• Do all 150 of those students now have to get tested? Who pays for those tests? Are they happening at school? How are the parents being notified? Does everyone in each of those kids' families need to get tested? Who pays for that?

• What if someone who lives in the same house as a teacher tests positive? Does that teacher now need to take 14 days off of work to quarantine? Is that time off covered? Paid?

• Where is the district going to find a substitute teacher who will work in a classroom full of exposed, possibly infected students for substitute pay?

• Substitutes teach in multiple schools. What if they are diagnosed with COVID-19? Do all the kids in each school now have to quarantine and get tested? Who is going to pay for that?

• What if a student in your kid's class tests positive? What if your kid tests positive? Does every other student and teacher they have been around quarantine? Do we all get notified who is infected and when? Or because of HIPAA regulations are parents and teachers just going to get mysterious “may have been in contact” emails all year long?

• What is this stress going to do to our teachers? How does it affect their health and well-being? How does it affect their ability to teach? How does it affect the quality of education they are able to provide? What is it going to do to our kids? What are the long-term effects of consistently being stressed out?

• How will it affect students and faculty when the first teacher in their school dies from this? The first parent of a student who brought it home? The first kid?

• How many more people are going to die, that otherwise would not have if we had stayed home longer?

30% of the teachers in the US are over 50. About 16% of the total deaths in the US are people between the ages of 45-65.

We are choosing to put our teachers in danger.

We're not paying them more.

We aren't spending anywhere near the right amount to protect them. And in turn, we are putting ourselves and our kids in danger.

Please copy, paste and share.

photo by Brecht Bug / flikr

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com

July 4th - 2020: A Time to Ponder

We've all seen this picture. It may have been in some grade school classsroom along with the picture of George Washington. Archibald Neal Willard painted this famous Revolutionary War painting. Fittingly it was called "The Spirit of 76."

In a July 4th parade reenactment of this scene a little boy held his father's hand as the three patriots marched by. The boy said, "Who's the man with a terrible headache carrying the flag?" A great many of us ask that question this July 4th. It isn't only that we are supposed to stay home month after month. Our hospitals are full and running over. The dreaded virus has struck down over 127,475 of us. Every day brings more and more gloomy news about this pandemic. And most of us live in fear. For ourselves and our family members. For our friends. For that long list of faces and names in the obituary pages of the paper. Millions are still out of work and many of the places they worked for will not be coming back. We are divided about just about everything--race, monuments, masks, opening businesses, that too-long list of funerals where black people--many of them young--shot and killed by some  of those who are pledged to protect us all. You probably read the other day about the little black boy who saw a policeman and asked his father, "Is that man gonna kill me?" We have a Presidential election coming up soon and things are getting uglier out there. Medical folks are sadly predicting that this virus might get worse in the future.

I have no answers for this. I do know that out there around this country are those warriors in every field--nurses, doctors, aides--and churches that reach out. And those individuals that make sure those kids that count on their meals at school will not go hungry. Maybe you heard about the retired furloughed retail worker who took his stimulus check and made 1200 pans of lasagna for his whole town.1200 lagsagnas! His kind actions has opened the door to many others who have stepped forward to do what they can. Kindness do not forget is infectious.

There is a great divide out there and I wonder how we can ever build a bridge across our enormous differences. But I still count on all those that do not give up on the principles that made us great. They really are letting their little lights shine and those lights are healing and they are hopeful despite the darkness.

photo by DJDANDYW.com AKA NO / flikrdifferences. 

On this July 4th weekend we need to ponder how far we have come as a country. That does not mean that we do not have miles and miles to go before we sleep. Yes. But we must remember that we have been governed since our beginnings by flawed creatures. Most if not all were far from perfect. And that beat still goes on. We are governed by human beings much like ourselvers. We are children of our time and all those that came before were children of their times.

The late Bill Coffin fought many battles for peace and justice. In a time of unrest and flag burnings he wrote:

"How do you love America? Don't say, "My country drunk or sober"; it doesn't get you anywhere. Don't just salute the flag, or burn it either. Wash it. Make it clean."

That's our job for these hard days and those days that will come when we will have the hard task of rebuilding. Reaching for the Tylenol will not do this. We all know by now there are no easy answers and no quick fixes. But a recommitment "to the patriot's dream that sees beyond the years, her alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears." Let it be Lord, let it be.

In Rockaway Township, New Jersey members of American Post #344 replaced all the

tattered flags at the foot the each of the Memorial trees of those lost service people 

 in their town.    Photo by Picatinny Arsenal / flikr

               --Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com