Letter #1
Unsung Heroes of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The numbers can make us numb. And we’ve seen a lot of numbers over the past two years. The disease itself that has been our focus boasts a number: COVID-19. We hear the number of people infected, the number hospitalized, the number needing intensive care, the number vaccinated and boosted, the number who have lost their lives during this pandemic.
The numbers that are often left unsaid are the number who have been the unsung heroes through this unsettled time. So many of these heroes are on our medical teams: the doctors and nurses, along with cleaning staffs, cafeteria employees, administrators, ambulance drivers, and others who have kept our hospitals open and running effectively. Among the other heroes are our non-medical first responders, store employees who have kept our grocery stores open, truckers who try valiantly to keep our stores’ shelves filled, educators who have learned to teach our children remotely and under difficult in-person conditions, outreach programs that help to fill the gaps for those who need special assistance, pharmacists who filled our prescriptions, and farmers who raised our food.
These are just a few of the people who deserve our special recognition as we approach the second anniversary of our sequestration, sanitizing and mask-wearing days. They have kept our county and our country moving forward — even though many have seen their own families and co-workers lose their battles against COVID-19. We at All Saints Episcopal Parish pray that all such unsung heroes realize how deeply grateful we are for their dedication to their professions and their sacrificial service to the well-being of all of us.
All Saints Parish
Sunderland Maryland
#2
We Almost Didn’t Send This
We’ve got it: “The thing speaks for itself.” And, “Don’t dignify it by comment.” But…
Some things just require comment. The latest KKK package found in Dunkirk over New Year’s weekend is simply one of those things.
Dr. King, whom the writer attempted to demean, would have recognized the hatefulness and the ignorance of the writer – after all, these are what killed him. But, from his profound faith and compassionate heart, he would have affirmed that God loves the writer, even so.
Nelson Mandela once said that no one is born hating someone for the color of their skin. It has to be taught. We can and must overcome such hatred with love for one another in our speech and acts. The best response to counter such hate is to model love for all.
Dr. King’s dream was not sullied by the message, but we as a County were. In the face of such events, it’s a challenge to follow Dr. King’s faith that God loves all people, but we choose his path.
All Saints Parish
Sunderland Maryland