As I was watching the news on television, they cut to a public service announcement with a series of people, including some celebrities, claiming, “We are in this together.” It rang kind of hollow to me after watching a program filled with hate-filled politics. I could not see much unity in that at all.
After three weeks of lockdown and social distancing, I could tell it was having a big effect on me. Through Zoom meetings online, I could tell that working at home alone was having negative effects on my colleagues as well. They were complaining of feeling tired and having difficulty focusing. I heard a psychologist say the other day that a person should have a 20-second hug every two hours. That is a lot of hugging. We used to get lots of hugs in our office, probably more than most offices, but nowhere near that much! I think to get that much hugging you would need a family with 4-5 kids.
These are very troubling times. The possibility of a loved one catching COVID-19 is worrisome and we all have family members in the high-risk groups. If we have not lost our jobs, we likely know someone who has, and we know they will be facing a long financial recovery once they get back to work. There are so many unknowns, nobody can tell us when the economy will reopen – or what it will look like when it does. How is the massive federal debt going to affect the future value of the dollar, and what will the impact be on retirement savings? This calamity we are facing, with the threat of tens of thousands dying of disease and the attack on the oil markets, is comparable to a war. Its cost on our society will be that great. We have plenty to be anxious about during this lack of human contact and mutual support. Eighteen months is a long time to wait for a hug. These were the thoughts going through my head as I woke up the other day.
Thankfully, in my morning devotions I was reminded by Charles Spurgeon that “my Redeemer lives”
(Job 19:25). Regardless of what lies before us our destination remains the same. “Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).