Be Safe

"Be safe" - two simple words that have taken on a new urgency, a new poignancy in the present moment.  Before the coronavirus outbreak, we would encourage our children to be safe when playing outside, a spouse to be safe when undertaking a home improvement project involving saws or power tools, a loved one traveling to an unsettled part of the world.  All par for the course.  Now, we wonder about touching someone or breathing on another person.  Be safe.  But does this mean that we stop living?  That we give up all that makes life worthwhile?  No, you can still talk with friends, see friends - as long as you engage in social distancing.  But a few weeks, even a few months of inconvenience is the least we can endure in light of a pandemic the likes of which humanity hasn't seen in a very long time.

Why go on about this now?  Well, it's Lent.  A season in which we gain perspective as we reflect on our sins.  To indulge in self-pity can be a sin.  Yes, some people are hard up or struggling with illness, but most of us are getting by.  Compare this with Jesus and what he endured -- an all for our sake.  This Lent, pray, reflect, and, yes, be safe.

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