Editor's Notes
Most of us have never lived in the face of this kind of world crisis. We are in a kind of collective shock as we witness the unrelenting presence of this viral illness and at the same time moved by the courage and humane care that so many are offering. As so many are saying "we are in this together."
Perhaps it is this profoundly basic sense of what it means to be human that will be the most memorable part of this pandemic. So many kind gestures, humorous sharing from safe distances, collective sewing circles, meal and food distribution, calls to homebound and so on remind us that we are indeed in this together.
REACH has had many expressions of support and concern as we continue our mission to care for and house the housing deprived. We are most thankful for all of these expressions of concern.
At a virtual church service this prayer expressed for me some of the values that we at REACH cherish in the face of this tragic period:
May we who are merely inconvenienced,
remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
remember those most vulnerable.
May those who have the luxury of working from home
remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May those who have the flexibility to care for our children when schools close
remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel a trip
remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
remember those who have no margin at all.
May those who settle for quarantine at home
remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
let us choose love during this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us find ways to be the loving embrace to God and our neighbor.
(
Prayer for the Pandemic
By: Cameron Wiggins Bellm)
We are in this together!
Peter W. Peters