The Sunday after 9/11 I told our congregation that we would never again see the America we knew on 9/10. I did not know what changes would occur after that terrible day, but I knew that changes would come, and I felt that many of them would not be for the good. Of course, we've seem many changes, especially for those who travel. There have been changes in the way some view Muslims. Security is tighter especially around government buildings and at major sporting events. I think many people feel less free and less safe than they did prior to 9/11.
Now we have a pandemic that has shut down much of the nation and the world. The loss of human life continues to mount. We've seen how ill-prepared we were for such an event at both the state and federal level. Many of us have been ordered to remain at our homes unless we go out for work or to purchase essentials. Huge numbers of people have filed for unemployment, and the federal government has passed disaster relief bills that will send checks to every American home further draining the nation's economy. The stock market looks like a roller coaster with its wild swings. We're not allowed to gather in groups of more than 10 people in much of the country, and then we have to stay six feet apart. A video yesterday showed police handcuffing a father in front of his kids because he didn't maintain proper "social-distancing." Most small businesses have been ruled non-essential and forced to close. Some of them will not reopen. Churches have been told to not hold services. While a very few have refused to comply, most churches that can are live streaming their services over social media. Many smaller churches do not feel they can do that and have canceled their services for now. It will be interesting to see how many of them will reopen after this is over.
It will be interesting to see what changes will occur with churches when this pandemic ends. Will they return to business as usual, or will this impact the way they do and be church in their communities? Smarter people than me are trying to figure that out.
It will be interesting to see how our economy changes when things begin to go back to normal, and what that normal will even look like. How many businesses will survive? How many will return to their full workforce, or will they retool and begin to do things differently? My auction business has been shut down since this started. I'm anxious to have an auction, but I know that some auctioneers have been doing on-line auctions since the pandemic hit. As I read some of their comments, they have found that their businesses have done well with online auctions. Since these types of auctions require less people and set-up time, their costs are less as well. Will other businesses find the same thing is true for them, and will this have an impact on the number of people who are able to return to work?
I may be surprised, but when this is over I believe we will find ourselves in a "new normal." I expect there will be some changes that we may or may not expect, and that some of them will not be positive ones for many of us. I hope I'm wrong.
One thing that won't change is the way politicians will exploit this. Democrats who have been in office for 40 years place the blame for all this on Trump, who has held office for three years. A stimulus package intended to help the ones who lost their jobs couldn't be passed until it was filled with the pork the politicians couldn't get passed any other way not caring that it drove up the cost of the package by obscene amounts. While people were waiting for assistance, the politicians had to debate and compromise delaying the help the stimulus package was meant to provide. Of course, everyone pointed to everyone else as the culprit behind the hold-up.
As I've observed our nation during this crisis I've noticed how people have come together to help one another. I've seen the medical people day-in and day-out place themselves in harm's way to treat their patients. I've seen volunteers deliver packages of food to the porches of the elderly and the quarantined. I've seen people lined up showing their support for the health care workers. Last night, churches in our community had a prayer vigil at our local hospital. They came together to drive around the hospital and pray for the workers and patients in the hospital. I've seem so many good things happen and a level of cooperation and compassion that we don't often see anymore. Unfortunately, I've not seen that from many of those holding political office. I will remember that in November.
One other thing hasn't changed in all this. God is still on the throne. He has been a source of comfort for many families during this pandemic. He has been with our loved ones in the hospital when we were not allowed to be with them. He has been a faithful companion to all those who have looked to Him for guidance and support. I so wish one of the things that would happen when this is over is that we as a nation would once again turn back to Him.
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