I remember when... three years later

[Grace]

I remember when we were first allowed to attend church. The ministers and deacons made up a seating plan using social distancing. Half the church could attend one Sunday with assigne4d seats and the other half the next Sunday. No handshakes, no Hugging, no holy kisses. Communion rolled around and no more common cup, but individual cups. If there is anything good that came out of COVID, it is refraining from the kissing and the common cup. For sanitary reasons, I never cared for either.

[Josh]

I remember my uncle dying and being unable to have a funeral for him. He was my last living uncle.

I remember my aunt getting cancer shortly thereafter and being unable to visit her for the year or so she struggled with it. She was too afraid of catching Covid due to all the fear mongering and “medical advice” telling her not to be around unvaccinated people. Then she died of the cancer. She was my last living aunt.

I also remember the absolute fearlessness in Amish country where people went about their lives, visited, had church, and sang. It is to my shame I did not align myself with that point of view earlier, but instead spent a few months giving into scare mongering.

[Ernie]

When I look back at the last three years, I am simply amazed. We asked God for opportunities to turn this pandemic into something good, and he gave us more opportunities than we could utilize.

-We had lots of good family times we would not have had otherwise.
-We made new friendships and strengthened friendships we already had.
-3 years ago, one young lady from east Asia got "trapped" at our house for 6 weeks until she could get a flight home. She joined us for family worship each day and we continue to have virtual Bible studies with her until the present.
-Another young family from east Asia ended up staying in America for an extra year. During that year they came to our house for Bible studies once or twice a week, and the wife was baptized shortly before they returned to their home country. We have sweet virtual fellowship with her about once a week. She is telling others about her faith and is blossoming like a rose.

However, we know of young and middle aged widows who lost their husbands to Covid.(men who were strong and healthy but were gone in a couple weeks). We grieve with them and their children.
We know of middle aged people who got hit hard (one in our church) and are still dealing with respiratory issues. We feel sad about this.

[Ernie]

I haven't thought about this for awhile but I also grieve the lost opportunities for so many folks...

Some were so distraught that evil men and seducers were growing worse and worse that all they could do was talk about it. It was as if they were trying to stave off the end times. They buried their talents rather than help people prepare to meet God. They were so fearful of people taking away their rights that they didn't make use of the rights and opportunities they still had.

Others were so afraid of getting sick or dying that they also missed golden opportunities to grow spiritually and help others.

And then the media (both right and left) made millions of dollars off of both people's fears.

This is probably the greatest tragedy of the pandemic but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it anymore. Perhaps we should help prepare Christians now to better seize the opportunities of the present and future.

[Heirbyadoption]

My wife and I were actually discussing some of these aspects this week. We met in homes, parks, or up in the woods as small groups for a few months, and then sat socially distanced for a few months in the community building which we were using during that time, even though we chafed a bit at the effects of distancing. Now we meet in a meetinghouse of our own with benches close enough that we wish we DID have more space, lol. (there's a remodel in the works).

This past weekend, we actually just came through our second annual communion service since Covid hit, something which many of our congregations similarly postponed for a year (and some, two). I realize we're all at different places in our experiences, and I'm not intending to make light of others because I do understand where some of the different perspectives come from, but we were personally so very blessed that our common cup and the practice of the holy kiss have continued, rather than being done away with. Some of our congregations DID switch to single cups and no kiss for a time - never in my life did I think I would fist-bump some of the elder ministers from my childhood but we all survived, lol.

I suppose one of the more disheartening things that we have seen post-Covid is how some of our friends no longer (or at least very rarely) attend church in person (granted, more so in non-Anabaptist churches than Anabaptist, but still...), and how congregations that we occasionally visit have attendance numbers that are dramatically reduced specifically due to this phenomenon. Certainly there is a place for caution at times, but the mindsets of fear and convenience that have emerged (not necessarily hand in hand) among many who used to be committed and invested in their congregations and communities are things we sincerely grieve over. I appreciate Ernie's reminder to take the opportunities we have, whatever shape they may take.

[Signtist]

And still your fearless leader won't open the border. I mean, many get across with no problem. But many are one short question away from being turned back.

[Signtist]

At the beginning, the local grocery stores had people posted at the entrance to make sure customers wore a mask. That only lasted a week or so. Too much hostility.

1. Wore a mask.
2. Only shopped by yourself, one person per household. (Asinine, I don't care what Appleman says)
3. Only purchased "essential items" (pencils and pens were not essential, but we couldn't send kids to school)
4. Mandatory shot of hand sanitizer
5. Only walked in certain directions in the isles.
6. Stood 6' apart in the checkout lines.
7. Threw your money in a bin. Or in the case of a card, the keypad had plastic over it.

[Soloist]

At the beginning, the local grocery stores had people posted at the entrance to make sure customers wore a mask. That only lasted a week or so. Too much hostility.

1. Wore a mask.
2. Only shopped by yourself, one person per household. (Asinine, I don't care what Appleman says)
3. Only purchased "essential items" (pencils and pens were not essential, but we couldn't send kids to school)
4. Mandatory shot of hand sanitizer
5. Only walked in certain directions in the isles.
6. Stood 6' apart in the checkout lines.
7. Threw your money in a bin. Or in the case of a card, the keypad had plastic over it.

Did you drink it? Or inject it? Curious minds must know!

[Signtist]

Refused it. I told them I don't like to absorb unknown substances into my body.

[Heirbyadoption]

At the beginning, the local grocery stores had people posted at the entrance to make sure customers wore a mask. That only lasted a week or so. Too much hostility.

1. Wore a mask.
2. Only shopped by yourself, one person per household. (Asinine, I don't care what Appleman says)
3. Only purchased "essential items" (pencils and pens were not essential, but we couldn't send kids to school)
4. Mandatory shot of hand sanitizer
5. Only walked in certain directions in the aisles.
6. Stood 6' apart in the checkout lines.
7. Threw your money in a bin. Or in the case of a card, the keypad had plastic over it.

I vividly remember losing my shopping innocence, lol. I arrived in a hurry, scurried into the grocery, snatched a freshly-wiped down cart, and blissfully entered the bread aisle, somehow not noticing the arrows taped to the floor (it was the first week they had been laid). Somehow found myself halfway down the aisle and made it all the way to the bread section, and managed to select a nice loaf of bread (by the grace of God) before I was accosted by a (literally) screaming female who rushed up to probably 8 feet from my person, wearing mask, visor, and gloves. She skipped the pleasantries and immediately subjected your humble servant (bread in hand) to a 1-2 minutes (felt like an hour) tirade about how there was no way I could miss the arrows and I was breaking the law and selfishly risking the lives of everybody else in the aisle (there was nobody behind her at that point), and she was going to call management (as if they couldn't hear) and have them call the police.

When she finally wound down and ran out of steam and several vile invectives and some particular accusations I would not have expected from a nice older lady, she promptly turned around and marched down the aisle (the wrong way), and collided with someone who turned into the aisle. Honestly, I was somewhat dejected I didn't get to chat with her (or even respond) but it really did seem best to back away careful, turn my cart in accordance with the arrows (which I now beheld in a new and vivid light), and flee (with my bread) toward the register. Two managers actually apologized to me and informed me to come in the mornings because the dear lady only came in the afternoons (apparently I wasn't the first victim). Nevertheless, I came later back the next week later in the day again and (viola!) actually found myself in a checkout line (6 feet and several extra inches) behind the same sweet, PPE-bedecked character - she looked back once (possibly snarled, but it all sounded like Darth Vader breathing through her mask), then noticeable scooted farther toward the door, and stalked away after her payment. I haven't seen her since. I hope she survived, but I wouldn't rule out a stress-related stroke or two having beset her in the last couple years... And yes, I was similarly accosted for at least two other Covid-regulation violations as well. Stories for the grandchildren, I suppose.