Dazed and Confused

I’m dazed and confused about what is happening in the world.  I’m going to ramble on about that in this week’s edition of Playground Heaven Living 2020.

My intent every week is to provide thoughts and recommendations about how we can all strive to be our best and happiest selves.  It started with a focus on happiness which I equate with the playground, and has morphed to include the concept of saints, which is being our very best.  Taken together I think of us as Playground Saints.

Unfortunately the world has been turned inside out and upside down by something commonly referred to as a pandemic.  A pandemic is an epidemic that’s spread over multiple countries or continents.  An epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region.

Yes, we have a new disease.  Yes, it has spread across the world.  But has it really affected a large number of people?  That depends upon your definition of affect.  It doesn’t meet mine.  It turns out that most people are actually largely unaffected even if they have contracted the virus.

But then again, maybe the pandemic is not the virus itself, but our reaction to it.  We definitely have an epidemic of the disease of fear and panic.  Maybe that was justified in the beginning when it appeared everyone was at risk of grave illness.  The projected number of deaths was 30 times more than a normal flu season…scary.

Now we know so much more.  There is no need for panic any longer based on the facts and data now readily available.  But it continues.  Why?  Because the fear was fed to us daily for months on end.  Because we were locked down and quarantined.  Because we continue to keep our distance from each other and wear masks.  Because everywhere you go you are reminded about it by someone or something.  Because no one is telling us not to.

Here’s what we now know. People with serious health conditions are at risk.  No one else really is.  Yes, you may get the virus, but no, you are not likely to get seriously ill, and you have virtually no chance of dying from it.

As a result, we really only need 3 simple rules going forward:

1. If you have a serious health condition or don’t feel well, stay home.
2. Everyone else go back to business as usual.
3. Help those at risk and in need, and use caution to protect them.

Of course that is not what is happening, and it won’t happen any time soon.  Why not?  Let’s see, because:

• We have been frightened by the constant barrage of negative news to the point where we are now scared no matter what the facts tell us.
• No one wants to admit their beliefs and actions were wrong.
• Businesses fear the risk of lawsuits and bad publicity for not appearing to care.
• It makes us feel good about ourselves to demonstrate our virtue by continuing to physical distance and wear masks.
• Politicians will never let a good crisis go to waste.
• It’s easier to go along to get along.

Instead we choose to live by rules that are so varied, confusing, and nonsensical that no one really knows what to do.  So we do whatever feels the safest.  Or we go completely mad and start riots and looting across the nation.

Please help me understand why people are burning, breaking, and stealing things from businesses that have nothing to do with a man dying in police custody.  Rather than condemn these actions, one state governor was actually reminding these lawbreakers to remember to social distance and wear masks.  Seriously?  Has the world gone completely insane?!

How are we to be happy in the midst of all this?  It’s not going to end anytime soon.  The division between people continues to widen and intensify.  I wonder if that is by some sort of intentional design?  I won’t even get into all the conspiracy theories floating around.  There are many seemingly random dots that can be easily and logically connected if you really feel like driving yourself crazy.

In the meantime, real people have real problems and they are suffering.  They need their jobs back.  We went from the lowest employment rate ever, to one of the highest.  The virus didn’t do that, we did. I’m talking the collective “we.”  Because we are either  making the decisions or we are going along with them.  Maybe those decisions were justified when we knew little about the virus, but they sure aren’t now.  We need to undo the damage we have caused.

My hope is that we have learned lessons that will ensure this never happens again.  I also hope there were some important life lessons learned along the way.  Like the importance of families spending time together.  Understanding what is important in life, and what isn’t.  Realizing that life is precious and not to be wasted.

But enough with the lessons.  It’s time for a little common sense and common decency to prevail.  Do I sound upset?  Yes I am!  Nothing good is coming from the prolonged and needless reopening rules we are being subjected to.

As long as I’m ranting, what is going on with churches?  Doesn’t Christianity preach faith in God, have no fear, and do unto others?  Why are church leaders so easily rolling over to the fear of our secular leaders?  Why are they not demanding to open with no restrictions?

If we all practiced our faith wouldn’t we be ready and willing to go back to the way it was.  We care about each other.  Therefore no one who is at risk would attend.  They wouldn’t want to restrict the freedom of others to attend due to their presence. Anyone who wasn’t feeling well would stay home as well.  And all the rest who do attend will reach out to those who can’t in order to make sure their needs are being met.  Simple.

But no!  The rules we have in our church are more restrictive than going to the grocery store. I understand that churches are business and have liability issues to consider, but aren’t they leaders of the faith first and foremost?

I think history will show that this approach was a huge mistake.  There has been a steady decline in church attendance going on for a long time.  I am very concerned that we will now see a significant one-time drop that may never be recovered.  Interestingly, one of those conspiracy theories has this as a goal.  I pray for the opposite.

Our churches are a place we can leave the troubles of the world behind.  Where we can see the world as it could and should be.  It appears to me that church may no longer be that respite.  Have they really adopted the ways of the world?  Where is the confidence and belief in our Lord and savior?  It makes me sad.  Actually, it makes me mad.  Does that make me a bad Christian?

Enough rambling and ranting.  I’m not sure where to go from here.  I so want this world to live up to the standards of what I think God expects of us.  I’ll bet He’s really embarrassed right now.  Maybe always.  But hey, He gave us free will.  But He also gave us the ability to use reason to solve problems.  Seems we are much better at creating them nowadays.

I constantly go back to the only solution I can come up with to the state we are in.  For each of us to strive individually to become the saints we are meant to be.  To be the best and happiest people we can be, and to help others, especially our appointed leaders, to do the same.

Challenge for the week?  Go on a news fast, don’t watch, listen, or read any of it.  Especially social media.  Stay out of the fight.  Pray instead.  Pray for understanding and wisdom for our leaders, that they may make decisions based on faith, hope, and love for the people.

Thanks for reading.  I’m always interested in your thoughts as well.  I read and respond to them all.

I promise to make next week’s message more positive and hopeful.  No more virus or riot talk.  It’s time to get back to the happy theme:-)

Thank you for your continued efforts to make this world a better place for us all.

Peace, Scott