This Is Not The End

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." ~ Matthew 6:25-29

When I was growing up, I heard the story of The Aunt and the Grasshopper. In a nutshell, the grasshopper played all summer while the aunt stored food and reinforced his hill. Thus, when winter came, the grasshopper died and the aunt stayed warm & fed.

As children we were taught to be like the responsible aunt. When I first read the scripture above I was confused. I thought Jesus Christ was advising people to be like the grasshopper. Then it was explained to me the writers of the gospels thought Jesus was going to return within their lifetime. They weren't preparing for later because they thought there was no later.

Christians were predicting the end of the world 2,000 years ago. News Flash: This just in, they were wrong. The Roman Empire fell, people kept having babies, and the world kept on keeping on.

Things look bleak right now, but this isn’t the end. You don’t need to pour over the Book ok Revelations to see if the signs are upon us, or hoard toilet paper and tomato soup because our infrastructure is on the verge of collapse.

We will get through this. We’ll get through this faster and easier if we’re responsible toward the greater good now. We’ll be better off on the other side or this, if we're kind to each other now.
When the ICU beds are empty, when the masks are off, and when the dust settles the world will be here. The kind of world it will be is up to us.

There's a Light

-
- In the velvet darkness,
- Of the blackest night,
- Burning bright,
- There's a guiding star.
- No matter what or who you are.
- There's a light
- Over at the Frankenstein place.
- There's a light
- Burning in the fireplace.
- There's a light, light, in the darkness of everybody's life.

I’ve had this song rolling around in my head since this viral sleigh ride began. OK, in Rocky Horror these lyrics were ironic, Brad & Janet thought the light in the house was their salvation when it was actually luring the to all kinds of trouble. Throw the context for everyone moment, and focus on the lyrics, especially the last line.

“There's a light, light, in the darkness of everybody's life.” Granted, it’s hard for many of us to see the light in the proverbial rainstorm, but it’s there. The light emanates from those around us who are going out of their way to do kind things during this difficult time.

A 4th grader girl is sewing masks for health care workers battling coronavirus pandemic in the Boston community.

From Chula Vista to Oceanside, local residents spreading gifts, food, art and good cheer

In the small town of Coos Bay, also in Oregon, coffee shop owner John Beane is hosting virtual story times for kids after shutting down his cafe.

These are just a few examples of good people making an effort to alleviate suffering. Even when certain parts of government seem to be befuddled and bewildered, everyday people are stepping up to do their part. Focusing on their example, or even pitching in, will help us hold onto ouch humanity and stay sane.

With this in mind, I've created a new Facebook group, A Light In The Darkness. I want it to be a place where people can share good news, so we can all focus on the humane as our guiding light.