Kim and I were watching a movie Saturday night when I found myself thinking with my new Coronavirus mindset. In this film there was a scene which included a large group of people in a rather closed space and I shared with my movie date the concern I had due to the fact that those actors were in such confined quarters. Such is life now in our new normal Covid-19 world. I never thought like that. I am a handshaking, side hugging, back patting machine. Please don’t get me wrong but… I like to get my hands on people. Now I don’t even make eye contact out of fear that the virus might infect my optic nerve and its adjoining organ. My worry is not so much that I might contract the ailment but that I might infect someone else and that is a distinct possibility with this stuff! If this were to occur I could not live with myself because I feel guilty over things other people do and I know if someone gets it who has been within fifteen miles of me… I will call or write and tell them I am sorry I infected them.
I don’t know if I will ever overcome my guilt complex but I do hope that someday I might be able to get my hands on people again. I am afraid cautious, interaction may become the order of the day in the years ahead and that may be good for awhile. We will probably never shake hands again (you never know where they have been) and hugging will be frowned upon by many and back patting could be a consideration for some so forgive me if in 2021 I slip up and do one or two or three of these things. It’s just my nature and I guess I am gonna have to get verbal…. “THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH”… “I LOVE YOU”… “THAT IS SOOO KIND OF YOU”. To say these things without a handshake or a hug is like leaving a period off of the end of your sentence, but I guess I will have to adapt.
We, your church staff, have really missed you over the past weeks. Fulfilling our respective calls on Sunday in an empty sanctuary saddens us because we love our Sunday interaction. Hopefully our efforts whether it is The Quarantine Playlist or Sunday Worship are taken in the spirit with which they are delivered. These attempts are our new 2020 virus Handshakes, Hugs, and High Fives!
Andy O.