Roll Call - Sunday 4/5/20

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

 We've been in this new normal for a while now, and I'm wondering if anyone is feeling as though it qualifies as such.  Is social distancing a habit now, or do we struggle to not reach out and touch, shake hands or simply offer a physical gesture of support and encouragement?

I'm on my way out the door to our church service; no one there except the musicians and pastor, two techies that make it all turn into a live feed.  People feel connected through it, making comments throughout and even prayer requests.  It's amazing to me knowing this is going on around the world, thanks to the available and prevailing technology.

Passover begins on Wednesday, and the significance of an observation that recalls a time when the blood of a lamb, sacrificed and made the family meal, was placed on the doorposts and lintels of those ancient homes in order for death to bypass them, cannot be ignored during this current plague.  Easter, which falls next Sunday within the borders of Passover, celebrates another sacrifice, described as God's Passover Lamb, whose blood saves not only one group, but the world.  This compels me to believe in a passover for us, by whatever miracle of science might bring it about.

Of course, not everyone thinks as I do. But that doesn't stop me from praying and hoping for the safety of all of us, regardless of differences in viewpoints and beliefs.  Perhaps that is going to be the positive in all of the chaos and, for some, grief.  Perhaps it's possible to drop party lines, points of contention and endless wastes of time and energy spent on despising what the other person says or thinks.  

It's a stretch, I'll admit it and acquiesce to the probability that, at the end of this, people will go back to doing what they did before. Politicians will continue to haggle and spew out vindictive words... and I do mean all of them, unfortunately.  But people, those without an agenda for power or fame, can come out of this peaceably and with regard for others and what we've all been through, together.  Toilet paper hoarding aside, people have been afraid and shifting into survival mode.  I just hope our own survival will never mean we sacrifice someone else's.

Any thoughts on the topic?  Let us know you're here, because as Illya once said (and I have quoted more than once), 'we're all in the soup together'.

Comments

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

I'm not a believer. The human race makes its own weather (literally) and has to live with it. Quite depressing.

But not being able to reach out to others isn't normal, as the mass volunteering that has happened here in the UK shows - some half a million people have volunteered to help the NHS and other organisations. Likewise, when people everywhere come out to sing to each other, or applaud, or just be together for the same purpose in the same space, however distant. That's attempting normality.

As to the future, our bitterly divided country finds itself united again, for the moment anyway - at least until we discover what isolationism is going to mean after this is over. Then I hate to think what will happen here and elsewhere. We still have brexit, the US still has Trump, other countries have their own incompetents. That's more than quite depressing.

Sorry. I'm just depressed.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I suppose the adage is true, Perspective is Everything.
I just read of PM Johnson's serious encounter with C-19, I hope he is able to recover. And I hope you find something to give you a glimmer of hope, it is one of the most essential elements of life I think.

[hypatia-66.livejournal.com]

I have very little respect for our present prime minister, but as a fellow human being I wouldn't wish him ill. It's oddly disquieting that someone in his position, however contemptible and bad at it, should be in this situation. If any of the other nincompoops in the government had a brain cell between them, it wouldn't be so worrying. Maybe they'll have to call on the other parties and form a national government. Now that would be quite cheering.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

As someone with social anxiety, I think I'm handling the social distancing thing better than others. I've always been protective of my personal space, and have never been very tactile.

I do wish that everyone would take it all seriously. Our government have had to make sunbathing in public illegal because people were gathering in parks. This thing will abate more quickly if everyone just did as they were asked, and kept away from one another for a while. I've always stood against authoritarianism and police states, but even I am bright enough to know that there are times when everyone must follow the same path.

We're lucky to find ourselves in a time with the technology to stay in contact as much as we need to. There's no need for people to flock together for moment, when a live video stream can be set up.

Anyway, I hope everyone is keeping well, and you're all washing your hands :-)

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

There is something to be said about learning to live with yourself, and certainly creativity helps to amuse the lonely and the quarantined. Are you still at your folks, or did I get that wrong?
In any case, wash your hands and try not to breathe around people. Easy, right?

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

I live with my parents. I'm single and unemployed, and they are retired. It means we can split the bills, and the house is big enough for us not to get in one another's way.

[threecee.livejournal.com]

You already know my views on religion, but I do appreciate that your prayers are a gesture of concern and goodwill. We need more good people like you, regardless of what beliefs motivate you to be what you are.

My own belief in the overall goodness of humanity and their ability to make things better through intelligence and cooperation has been sorely tested these past several years and I hope this will create a turning point where we will realize we are all better off when we work together for the common good instead of "me first and the hell with everyone else".

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

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[gevr.livejournal.com]

It is hard not to be able to touch your kids, grandchildren and friends, but there are indeed many other ways to communicate without endangering each other - so let's be happy about that.

I am not a religious person, but I do believe in the goodness that is inherent to most people. And it shows in all the little things people are doing for each other now in this time of crisis. It gives me hope that when this crisis will be over that things might change for the better - maybe not on a large scale, but as my mom always said "every little bit of kindness helps".
I am quite certain our politicians will learn next to nothing of all this, because even now when the crisis is raging around the country they are still bickering and sniping at one another. But if people would get a bit wiser many thing s can change, because it is the people that choose the politicians...

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Kentucky seems to be faring better than some, and families are together from the looks of it and comments I see. I hope you get that reunion sooner than later, I'm still holding out for Easter (have been since the onset).