Is this the Real Life?

                                

Life as usual, back-to-normal- I hear the lyrics to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"  That is what a lot of people are waiting for... 

But everything has changed. One hundred and six thousand people have died because of a virus that we could have prepared for but did not. Black people are dying at the hands of police officers in this nation at a staggeringly disproportionate rate than other races. America elected a president who does not lead by example, is not respected (arguably not respectable) by most other world leaders, and is more concerned about his twitter feed than crafting a statement to attempt to unify this nation or comfort it while it is in the midst of a crisis. I don't even debate with people about the ridiculous and awful things our president does anymore. Doing so is pointless. Most aren't wiling to forego any ground and say that they made a mistake in electing him. But look at where we are at... a leader sets a tone, and the tone he has set.... 

I digress, because I'm not looking to pin the state of our country on one man. That would over-simplify a complex issue that has obviously been in the works years before the stage was set for his grandiose entrance. But we have to be honest with ourselves; we are not in a good situation... and electing a president who has prayer meetings in the Whitehouse and promises to nominate supreme court justices that will go hard against abortion rights has not led to making America Christian again.... (not that it ever was Christian in the first place... The faith of the founding fathers was more complex. Judaeo-Christian values they had... morality perhaps... but "Christians" by definition? Not exactly). 

'Things' are not going back-to-normal again people. A corner has been turned. 

Just tonight, Jesse headed out to pick up a few groceries before we put the kids to bed. This is a routine a few nights a week, or I should say, it was a routine... not anymore. New York has a curfew of 11:00 p.m. now because of the riots, but apparently the stores are closing up shop as early as 6:00 p.m. in preparation and in order to give employees time to get home or to safety. So we can't buy milk after 6:00 p.m., for the near future at least. And when we go outside, we need to wear masks, and we don't go as a family anymore because it's safer to keep the kids at home than risk them touching everything and exposing others. Life is just .... different. Everything has changed. And maybe it's not like this so much where you are living right now, maybe it hasn't reached you, but I would venture to say that it is going to... in time. This is not a game. This is not a few annoyed people acting out. This is reality. People are broken. People have been overlooked and starved for justice. And contrary to what many would like to think, this virus is real, and it is not the flu. And wearing masks is not part of a conspiracy theory by the government. Eventually, you're going to have to put yours on, unless God sees fit to eradicate this thing, or unless they find a vaccine. 

But even then, do you see the tone of this nation? How divided people are... ? Many will refuse a vaccine at this point, and then what... how many people have to die? Does everyone really need a round trip ticket to visit NYU or Cornell Medical Centers before they take our word for it that this is something MUCH different and MORE DANGEROUS? This is reality, people. This is life... and it isn't going to change until the majority recognize that the problem is REAL and they are a part of it... Until the majority in this nation recognize that they are PART of the problem, nothing will get better. So long as everyone keeps denying they play any role, the problem will continue to snowball, to spiral, and we will lose much more than our Target stores and our ability to purchase milk when is most convenient for us. So many have been up in arms over fear of losing their rights by being asked to wear a mask or get a vaccine... there is going to be much more lost if people don't stop walking around all high-and-mighty, pointing out all the specs in the eyes of protesters or black people. We are all focused on the protesters, who aren't even the ones doing the freaking violence. But wait, what is that? Do you see that? Look over there... it is Jesus... he's with the woman caught in adultery, and he's with the Black Lives Matter protester, and he's with the trans-gendered kid who just came out in your church, and he's with you... and he's writing in the sand... 

You know what He's writing. You just don't want to admit it. But until you do... until we all do...THIS is reality, and life as usual, that is the fantasy.