January 1, 2022, Post 2612

 I wish everyone who comes to this blog, for whatever reason you do, a blessed New Year. I have hopes for it, as seen here (this blog needs a lot more visuality).

Enough has already been said about the travails of 2020 and 2021: race relations, the threats to democracy (from both sides of politics), and the obvious. Yet, life has gone on, babies have been born, couples married, "buying and selling" (the stock market did well for those with such funds), and death has gone on as well, in all its forms. As one of the pundits I listen to said, the biggest losers, other than those disabled or killed by COVID, were the people--especially the women and the non-Muslims--of  Afghanistan. I can overlook a lot of Biden's nonsense, but that, no. The Christians in Afghanistan need our prayers. Thankfully prayer is not a zero-sum game (although we act like it is).

I still believe that the worst part of COVID, and proof it is manufactured, is its startling unpredictability. Whether there is a genetic factor, a blood type factor, an underlying condition issue, we don't know, or the people who know aren't telling us. Everyone around me right now seems to be testing positive. I never have, which doesn't mean I didn't have it. 

We all hope it is fading in severity and frequency, although on the second point, not yet. My larger concern is that we discard this pandemic mentality of fear, excuses, lethargy, animosity (for taking it seriously, not taking it seriously, or overdoing the seriousness) and start to act like neighbors and co-citizens and, that the church would return to being the church and acting like Christ's bride and gathering as it should and has for 2000 years. 

This rant does not sound happy or hopeful, but I am both, generally. However, not because of circumstances, but because of the underlying truth of creation that we (should have just) celebrated in the last two weeks. Without that, many of our efforts and drama are chaff in the wind.