Being home now, trying to do my part to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus, has sealed for me something that I already knew. There are people from all corners of the world who want our attention. They want to sale us something, convince us of something, make it unquestionably clear that what they have to say should somehow be construed as the irrefutable truth. One thing is obvious, if we don’t have ideas of our own, these hawkers of opinions can get inside our heads and lead us about like a tamed animal with a bit in its mouth.

Have you ever really paid close attention to the 24/7 news cycle and the purveyors of its content? Not only is there so-called unbiased news reporting, but there’s a good amount of opinion being injected into the minds of listeners, too. We really can’t watch television, read a newspaper or a magazine, without listening to advertisements that have been psychologically tailored for our senses to solicit a specific response. How do written advertisements get us to listen? Come on, don’t you hear something when you see a written message that attracts you? Upon hearing, can’t you see something, and even desire something if the message sparks interest for what it’s hawking?  Sometimes, we may not give a whole lot of attention at the time we first encounter an advertisement. It might be sometime later when the jingle, the sound, the image replays in our minds, and we may not remember from where we were exposed. These conversations are one-sided and often not for our benefit.

I want to ask you something. When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with yourself? No, I’m not talking about some schizoid mental short circuitry that someone might hear and wonder if you’re ready for the folks in the white coats, or whatever color they’re wearing these days. I’m talking about thinking, mulling over things with which your senses are dealing continually. Let me say here that if you’re reading this, I’m grateful that you’ve taken some of your valuable time to listen to what I have to say; however, I implore you to do more than listen.  I ask that you do what the title of this musing indicates: listen to yourself, too. What do you have to say about what I’m saying? The opinions of others should never be the end all on any subject, even when the truth about what is being said is overwhelmingly obvious. Invite that third voice to the conversation to interpret, give feedback, to let you know whether this makes sense or not.

One of the unfortunate things I see happening these days is too many people don’t have that most intimate of conversations. As offensive as this might be, there are folks who defy the adage about leading a horse to water only to discover it won’t drink. Maybe the horse is smarter than its usher, maybe the horse doesn’t want any water, especially not that to which it’s being led. There seems to be masses of people these days, who listen, get drunk with emotion and act in a manner that’s not of benefit to themselves or the greater society. I’m sure the conversation you’re having with yourself right now has garnered some examples.

When I was child, one of the first life-saving pieces of advice adults gave me about crossing the road was: stop, look, and listen. The next opportunity you have to sit down to read, turn on the television to look and listen, or have a conversation with someone who seems interesting, have that intimate conversation and listen to that third voice giving you feedback about what you’re  hearing from the outside.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

As of 11 pm Central Standard Time, May 12, 2,000, there were 4,261,955 cases of the Coronavirus worldwide, and 291,964 deaths. In the United States, 1,369,574 cases and 82,376 deaths. In my tiny state of Arkansas, U.S.A., with 3 million people, the numbers were 4,164 cases and 95 deaths. Each day, I look at these numbers when I read my local newspaper. Early on, I would read them with an attitude of shock, and some fear of the sheer enormity of the increasing statistics. This morning, and for a few weeks now, I’ve focused on another aspect of these numbers. One that the media probably has no ability to address. These numbers represent losses, losses to the fabric of humankind.

The daily report of the numbers of souls, who have succumbed to the onslaught of the Coronavirus, can seem cold and sanitized. I’m sure there are data collectors around the globe who do their best to give us accurate data on how the virus is culling the peoples of the world. In my mind, I can see strikes through numbers of five at a time. Of course, I know the data are kept in a more sophisticated manner than that, but that’s how my mind works at times. I see marks on a poster board with strikes through them. Each mark has a head, a torso, arms, legs, rudimentary representations of bodies.

Sadly, I have found myself also thinking about who these people are whenever I hear reports of the increasing tally of victims. These are assets to the world that we will no longer have; one of them  could have found the cure for all the cancers that plague us, one could have discovered a way to produce energy that no longer pollutes the planet, one might have found a common rallying point for global solidarity. Alright, maybe those are just too highfaluting, but they were wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, neighbors of all kinds, people who made the world a better place within their small circle of influence.

Quite frankly, it has become just to darn depressing to listen to the updates about Covid-19. The numbers of victims seem almost like the work of an advancing army, equipped with weaponry that makes defeat too far out there for us to even envision what victory is likely to look like. Last night, I had difficulty nodding off for my nightly rest. I got out of bed more times than I can remember. I even found myself on the back deck of our house lifting weights, in hopes that my fatigued body would surrender itself to much needed sleep. It didn’t work, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Chris told me what I already knew, I was suffering from anxiety. The mind knows what’s on it even when the body doesn’t. There’s one thing I must come to terms with via body, mind and soul: The Covid-19 victims are more than numbers; however, what I can do is make contributions to foodbanks, volunteer to help in whatever safe manner I can; practice social distancing to help prevent spread of the virus and pray to my Creator that this tool of the reaper will become dull and ineffective as soon as possible. My anxiety offers no help at all.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The preceding, of course, comes from the preamble to the fourth book of the New Testament, the Book of John. I’m finding myself turning to the Bible to seek light from ageless text to help me in mitigating the spiritual, emotional and mental strains the worldwide pandemic has brought to bear. I call it ageless, because although it was written during ancient times, its applicability is timeless. It deals with issues humankind has struggled with sense before historical records were ever produced. These are the strangest of times that I have ever dealt with. Sure, I’ve gone through other times of challenge, such as the civil rights movement; the Vietnam War; civil unrest, resulting in burning and destruction in major urban centers; the horrors of 911; however, nothing like this. Just to give you a sense of scale, I draw your attention to the fact that more Americans have died during this pandemic than perished during the Vietnam war. God forbid we matched the 675,000 souls lost during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918.

The current pandemic is like a world war with no clear battle plan. No one seems to be able to figure out the logistics necessary to effectively deploy the troops. All the world leaders are trying to fight this war, but they don’t seem to be in concert. If there’s a common enemy that’s posing a major threat to humankind, shouldn’t there be a common rallying point for all corners of the world? Look at us, we’re still involved in local and regional scrimmages all over the place. Geopolitical dynamics are unfolding as normal as anyone would expect. We talk about a new normal; however, folks are talking about getting back to business as before.

I sat in on a Zoom conference call recently with several leaders of my local church. The purpose of the call was to figure out a strategy for getting back together physically for worship and fellowship. The discussion was far reaching, but it seemed a bit unfocused. That’s not meant as a negative criticism, but rather a definition of a stroll through unfamiliar territory. But was the territory unfamiliar? Didn’t our great grandparents have to deal with many of these same issues during and after the Spanish Flu pandemic, previously mentioned? Didn’t they wrestle with the strain of being locked in at home? Didn’t they get back out too soon in some cases, causing pockets of resurgence of the disease? One would think we would retrospectively learn from what they did wrong and not repeat it. One would also think that the improvements in public health systems would put us in better position to weather this worldwide storm of 2020 than the folks of 1918.

If there’s one thing life has taught me it’s that the human model and how we address all issues of existence, remains basically the same. We continue millennium after millennium to be driven by the same things, greed, love, lust of all kinds, hatred and all the motivational seeds that grow in the garden of human experience. How will there ever be anything new under the sun, given that normality?

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

I just finished my morning read of the daily newspaper. I’m not having a lot of success at forgetting an article that is still weighing heavily on my mind. It was about some people in Mexico being upset with healthcare workers to the point of physically attacking them. The article highlighted a nurse, on her way home from working a shift a hospital. Some deranged individual threw a concoction of bleach and something else at her, in an insane protest that she was spreading the coronavirus.

I have tried, with what I consider little accuracy, to understand human behavior, especially when community is faced with a threat. Of course, the coronavirus is a threat of global, even Biblical proportions. I can appreciate fear, but fear expressed in a violent manner against those who are on the frontlines, putting their lives at risk to protect the life and limbs of others is more than mind boggling. The article I read, which reported the incident of the nurse, detailed other cases in Mexico where this is happening.

This article caused me to think of other instances of irrational behavior that exemplifies our inability to act in one accord whenever threats occur. When I read the newspaper, watch news reports, it’s obvious to me that there isn’t a cohesive world approach to fighting this viral, invisible onslaught against humanity. Politicians, you know those government folks who are in those stately chambers, put in place to serve, seem to be just too nationalistic in everything they do regarding the coronavirus. What would it take for the world to come together when a threat emerges, aliens from out of space? Hollywood has given us many a saga where such threats have resulted in a consolidation of efforts, across national boundaries to fight against threats to humankind. Logic becomes the best approach. You know, the coronavirus is a case of life imitating art from a negative perspective. Maybe we could imitate art positively: Come together globally, despite our differences, and throw everything we have at this deadly enemy that’s killing us. Something tells me that our scientists would flourish in their research if this were to happen.

Instead of focusing on the apparent enemy, the coronavirus, we have fingers being pointed: Who’s responsible for developing this thing? Was it a laboratory experiment gone awry? Can we indict some one in the eye of world public opinion? Meanwhile, I see little effort being directed toward the possibility that the coronavirus is symptomatic of all the wrong stuff we’ve been doing to the environment. Maybe nature is fighting back, or simply reacting as would a secluded room of vipers, if one carelessly ventured into their space.

Although I’m not that sure about most of what I’ve penned here. One thing I’m confident in is my stance on: We should not be hostile toward those on the frontlines, who are risking their lives to care for us.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

As I write this, it’s April 22, 2020. People around the world have been staying at home to stunt the spread of, or flatten the curve of the deadly coronavirus. We’ve all been bombarded with news reports, daily press conferences from government officials, fake news and news that’s not so fake. At times, I just want to stay in the house, watch videos and hope that the whole thing will go away mysteriously one night while I slumber.

As I think about the year 2020, I realize that years are often defined by what occurs within their calendrical confines. When many of us think of the year 2001, we think of the bombing of the twin towers in New York, 2016 brings to mind the election of Trump as POTUS, the bombing of Pear Harbor conjures up the year 1941 (if we have some appreciation for history that’s more than fifty year past). We’re now into the fourth month of the year 2020. There have been countless events individuals, communities, governments have had to cancel because of the dirge of the coronavirus. At this point, we have no definitive knowledge of when this thing will lessen its dreadful effects on our lives.

My family had several memory generating events on our calendar for this year: a trip to Ghana, West Africa, our annual Fourth of July family gathering with lots of family, another family gathering during the Christmas Holidays are just a few. It’s things like this that give year’s their meaning, their identity. When I think back to the July weekend of 2019, I still feel as though I’m enjoying the family outing we had at my cousin Junior’s spread. It was one of the largest ones we’ve had. There were five generations present. The old folk were relaxing under shade trees in the hot and humid weather conditions, but the kids were running and skipping and having fun to no end. The weather didn’t bother them at all. My mom wasn’t present. She died the year before. Her last surviving sibling was there. I’ve christened her with the moniker, clan matriarch.

As we go through the rest of the year 2020, there will be families all around the world, who will regrettably have to cancel celebrations that would work to define the year. There will be school graduations, anniversary gatherings of all kinds, family reunions, and yes, even going home celebrations of loved ones who will no longer occupy a space at the dinning table. Well, maybe 2020 won’t be the year that wasn’t; however, one thing is certain it won’t be defined by what many of us would rather remember.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

• 

Note: The blog that follows takes its inspiration from an article written by Brian Tome (link to the article is below). A friend of mine shared it on Facebook, and I couldn’t resist sharing a thought or two. I hope it produces some thoughtful reflection.

For quite some time, I’ve had conversations with people who would belittle the value of the internet and social media. Many saw them as a pure waste of time. My argument always was that social media was simply a tool like the printing press or any other technology that has been introduced to society through the ages. It’s the manner in which one uses a new technological development that counts. The radio, the television, the automobile and so on were demonizes by many at the time of their initial introduction to society. Now, we see them as instrumental in our paying homage to the Creator.

This current pandemic has presented both us and the demons who war against us an opportunity. Satan, no doubt, revels in hearing the complaints from people about being isolated, raring to get out and about, especially back to the church building. He recognizes better than many of us that our connection with God and with each other should be characterized by Spiritual energy; energy that strengthens us and carries us through times like these. Of course, we are by nature social animals who thrive on the physical intimacy being in close quarters provides; however, what we’re going through now is temporary. Those of us who have been saved by the sacrificial blood of Jesus are already living eternal life; therefore, temporary, dark episodes like the coronavirus should have no negative effect on our relationship with God. When it does, the enemy rejoices.

I’m glad to see many, who yesterday saw little use for social media, have now recognized the value in it. It, as the pencil is used for writing, or the calculator for ciphering, can be used for much higher purposes than promoting popular culture. Staying connected in conducting the work of the Lord can indeed be furthered when physical gatherings aren’t possible.

Of course, I miss the gatherings at the Ole Church House, but they will be again. In the meantime, I should do all I can to do as Christ commanded: Worship in Spirit and Truth. This has little to do with physical intimacy.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

https://www.briantome.com/articles/the-most-effective-weapon?fbclid=IwAR0Q_2taW0hCvlFLpMHvVtaPIzIToNYx7FDDTL96djnA4kraV3CqHipgw6I

I’m retired. I’ve been retired for seven years. As the pandemic continues its attack, being home hasn’t caused that much of a problem for me as some people are reported to be experiencing. However, even retired folks like the freedom to go whenever they wish without having to worry about some virus lurking about. I cannot make the unplanned run to Home Depot or Lowes as I used to. As a retired person in Arkansas, I’ve always enjoyed spring. Spring is that time of year when things are coming to life. Last night was one of those rarified nights. The temperature got down to 33 degrees, cold for April 14. The pollen has been thick as usual, covering everything; however, I noticed this morning that it wasn’t as bad as it has been. With the weather being as beautiful as it was, I decided to wash our vehicles. I made a good decision. After leaving the SUVs in the driveway for the rest of the day, there was little pollen dust on them.

Being outside today was good for my soul. The skies had that all-blue, cloudless appearance of a great fall day. The northerly wind made perspiration almost nil when I exerted myself physically. After washing the cars, I puttered around the house, accomplishing little, but enjoying the weather. At some point, I found myself sitting on the back deck, doing absolutely nothing but looking at the tree line on the other side of the creek that runs about 20 yards or so between our privacy fence and its bank. It was quiet. My meditation wasn’t interrupted by even the chirps of birds. I think Ari (our Shi-Tzu) was enjoying the time as much as I. She functions as my canine appendage, closely shadowing my every move.  They say dogs choose the human to whom they want to be attached. Ari chose me the first day we went to pick her up, and she hasn’t let go since.

Yes, today was a beautiful day. One that made me forget for a little while what the whole world is reeling from now. The deadly coronavirus. For the time I was outside today, I felt coronavirus free; free from all the news updates of people infected, on ventilators, deceased. As quickly as Ari and I came back into the house, the dark side of it all hit us squarely in the face again. The television was on and news updates about the coronavirus were ubiquitously filling the interior space of our abode.

Today the beauty of spring provided an effective mask, obscuring the unseen, powerful demon lurking about, waiting to conquer and destroy. Sometimes, we can take refuge from our unseen demons, by retreating into the beauty all around us that only God can provide. That pocket of peace and calm exists somewhere between the dark and the shadow-conquering light. You should take time to find it for yourself, especially now.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

Everyone is telling us that we are going through troubled times. We cannot turn on the television without hearing something about the worldwide pandemic. Those of us who feel a sense of responsibility for the welfare of not only ourselves, but for others too, are following the advice of doctors and scientists. When we look at the calendar, we see that it has not been awfully long since things have morphed into this nightmare. We ask ourselves when it will all end, or for that matter will it end.

Finding hope during all that we are going through can seem like a fatalistic exercise; however, it all depends in whom our hope lies. The Apostle Paul, the writer of the Book of Romans tells us in verse 12 of Chapter 12 that we are to rejoice in hope. He is not suggesting that we lend ourselves to some mental exercise, where we try to psyche ourselves into to ease the reality of the times. He is saying rejoice in the One who is hope. That person is Jesus. With all that is going on now, we can take stock in the promises of Jesus. One promise He has made clear is that He will be with us no matter the circumstances. Of course, those of us who have placed our life in His hands can be certain that no matter what happens, we will be with Him eternally. This is not some by and by when I die promise. Eternal life started the minute we accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour.

When we place our hope in Jesus, we can weather any storm, any tribulation that forces its way into our lives, coronavirus included. Realizing this, brings about a calming sense of patience that ramps down the tumultuousness of whatever tribulation we might be going through to a simmer. This cannot be done without staying connected with Jesus via prayer; prayer that surpasses mindless recitations. This kind of prayer is characterized by opening our very souls to Jesus, letting Him see the raw emotions we might be feeling, the need for His help in getting us through the darkness.

You want hope, turn to the One who is hope.

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

To be able to run, run as fast as you can, run until your chest stings, run with joy and excitement, is something I haven’t done in years. When I was a young child, I would run without purpose. Running seemed to be a part of being a child. Running was done on a whim, without any degree of deliberateness. It was always more fun when done with friends or with my cousins. We would run after each other. We would run in circles. We would fall to the ground in complete exhaustion, reenergize ourselves with a smidgen of rest and get up to run some more.

I never really cared that much for team sports when I was in school. Football, basketball, those all-American sports that every kid felt they had an inalienable right to, seemed somehow alien to me. The most exposure I had with these athletic pursuits was in gym class. They always felt awkward; like one of us was the left shoe trying hard to fit a right foot. For some reason that I cannot explain even today, I enjoyed the running associated with them.

As I grew older, progressing through junior high school, senior high and graduating, running became less of a companion to me. There was less reason to run, not that I ever needed a reason any of the times I had done it before. While in college, I spent most of my time studying and participating in a small amount of social activity common to being a college student. I had little need for running. Running hardly ever crossed my mind. I took up smoking while in college. It seemed like the cool thing to do.

Three years or so after graduating college and starting a career in public service, I quit smoking cold turkey, picked up a pair of running shoes and hit the ground running five miles per day. Running at this point in my life, at the age of 26, was like going back to visit an old friend. I continued to run religiously through the years. Then:

In 2,000, I received a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. This changed the trajectory of my life. Running was still a calling to me; one I couldn’t answer. My inability to answer the calling was amplified at age 62, when I had to have a hip replacement. Although I had read accounts of people who resumed playing tennis, running or some other hard impact exercise after a hip replacement, I feared tempting shortening the life of the foreign object in my body. Instead, I chose riding a bicycle as a substitute for running. Now, after almost eight years, I’m biking with the same commitment as I gave to running.

When I observe runners on the street, I feel the calling, it’s strong, but I can only reminisce. Isn’t it our calling to do what we can, the best that we can?

I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.

I’m sure I’m not the most observant person in the world; however, I do pay attention to things many people I know don’t bother to collect a clue about. That’s not meant to be judgmental. My powers of observation have kicked into high gear since we’re all hunkered down, trying our best to avoid being infected by the coronavirus. Here’s an example, I was watching a series on Prime Time this evening called Tales from the Loop. This is one of those slow-moving shows about people who live above some weird underground complex called the Loop. Things happen in this place that are super surreal. To be honest, I don’t know if this is a science fiction series or not. Thus far, it’s holding my attention.

One of the characters in the show said something that was quite profound: “You can always find light in the dark.” Now, doesn’t a statement like that get your cerebral juices churning? It’s metaphorical, symbolic, deep, and it represents so much of what we discover to be true at so many points in our lives. I’m hearing and reading so much about people being bored stiff while they are staying at home to protect their health and the health of others. What’s unfortunate for people like this is that they can only see dark. They can’t see the opportunities staring them clearly in the face to do other things. They remind me of what my kids used to say when they were little. Chris and I worked to give them a life so much better than we had. Of course, I’m referring to the material stuff. Let’s assume the love, protection, sense of self, etc. were covered. These little darlings would have the nerve to say they were bored, as they emerged from a room, dedicated to themselves, with every kind of entertainment gadget you could imagine. They had not the wisdom to see the light.

As we meander through the coronavirus event, seeing only the dark seems to be the worst way we can see ourselves experiencing it. I would hope that we all can see the points of light right there within our grasp. Here’s where I would normally give you examples; however, what is light for me may be a 25-watt bulb dangling from the ceiling in a room with no windows for you. Stretch your imaging software, and let it digitally connect with as many items as possible it’s programmed to play. Don’t be analogue.

I want to share with you an experience I’m currently enjoying. I’ve written about a trip Chris and I, along with my oldest child and two cousins had planned to take to Ghana, West Africa the last part of May through the first part of June. Although the trip hasn’t been cancelled yet, the probability of it isn’t looking good. I found a point of light the other day. I’m a member of two Facebook group that deals with issues related to Ghana. While on one of them, I made mention of my disappointment about not going on my planned trip. In response to that, a young man who lives in Cape Coast, Ghana, sent me a note through direct messenger. I responded, and we had a brief, joyful conversation. Since then, he has messaged me each day with a, “Good morning Mr. Hosea. How are you doing today?” Doesn’t seem like much does it? But it is. I’m having contact with a real person who lives where I’m not sure when I’ll be able to visit. He gives me real, close-to-the- ground information about how folks in Ghana are holding up with the global pandemic. Light? I think it is.

I’m old and blessed…you will be too.