A friend shared that these days of physical isolation are reminding his father of childhood days when the polio epidemic was raging. Between the years of 1949 and 1954 there were 11,000 Canadians paralyzed. The disease peaked in 1953 with 9000 cases and 500 deaths. Children could not interact. Beaches were closed. Families hunkered down to protect one another. A vaccine was developed and eventually the disease was brought under control by the early 1970’s and in 1994 Canada was declared polio free.
While World War 2 did not effect Canada directly with bombs and the destruction of buildings but there were limits on food, supplies were meager and there were governmental war measures. Family life was disrupted and community life changed. During that time, Leslie Weatherhead, the great British preacher of the early 20th century wrote to his congregation from the basement of another church because his beloved City Temple had been bombed. He wrote to remind them that the power of faith shines through and sustains us, if we are willing through every disaster that life can bring.
In these past two weeks our sense of community and what has felt normal has shifted dramatically but it is not new. People have faced challenge and tragedy as long as there have been people! We are in a new social experiment because of Covid 19 but it is not truly new to humanity. We have always had to face threat in one way or another. We, in fact, have more resources than any previous generation had, to respond to the current situation. Including advanced medical technology, communication systems and global interconnections.
I saw a post on one of the groups I follow on Facebook that said, “Those of us who have internet have gained a huge weight of privilege.” How very true. By connecting to one another – even by writing and/or reading this blog, we are building community and facing down the challenge of isolation in ways that those who do not have internet cannot experience.
People are responding to this social experiment in creative ways … online chats, video calls, but also by neighbourhood (from the front porch) sing-alongs and banging pots at a set hour to raise a ruckus in support of the many workers who must keep going. I have been thinking of the early Christian community who lived under the threat of Rome. How did they keep their faith in the face of loneliness, imprisonment and the threat of crucifixion? St. Paul wrote from his prison to the people of Philippi. Even though he was in prison, his letter is filled with the language of joy and rejoicing. One of my favourite passages of scripture comes from that very book of Philippians. I think it is a good one for these times of social experimenting. It is 4: 8 & 9, “Finally,beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things you have heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
