My college days and Facebook friend Toby Roberts made a comment that sent me into a reply that I want to share as a post:

Toby: Does the virus not like weddings? Actually, it LOVES weddings.

Me: And they are happening, weekend after weekend, all summer, right across the street from me and unavoidably reminding me of the utter senselessness of clinging to a “life” that we insist keep going unabated. The leadership and governments of this country have so clearly failed us, as we lag behind the rest of the world’s other democracies (the difference being they have sane and at least minimally responsible leaders who take their jobs seriously). The churches are among the very worst at this, and our gnosticism*** is literally killing people. To fail to awaken the people to just how serious this is, and “NO kidding”, this is REALLY a danger and that we have IDOLS we must give up , and literally on the pain of deaths. To think that we are “doing enough” by merely acknowledging what is happening and failing to preach to our congregations about how diligently we must battle this and let go our desires for “normal” (and we must battle this because of the ***idolatry*** of our culture for the “way of life” we are “protecting” at , apparently, any cost).
*** I call it “gnosticism” because there’s this notion that preachers and teachers must stick to a script that focuses on “inner things” and “getting our heart right”, but to pay much mind to the ills of society (in this case, that which is driving this pandemic in this country) is shouted down as “being political”. You’d better believe it’s “political”. It truly is about what makes for a “better polis”; a better “city” or “community” or “collective”….and the U.S. is failing miserably at this, with no small amount of blame able to be placed SQUARELY on the silence of the churches.