NOTES, 30 MARCH 2020,
with update

Today is Monday, March 30, 2020. The plague worsens. The dark night darkens. Fears deepens. The coronavirus continues on its sweeping track at a fantastic pace. It has sickened at least 738,000 people in the world, probably many more. In America, it has infected at least 143,000 and killed 2,500. These numbers too are probably very low in reality. In South Carolina, there are at least 774 cases. There, 16 people have died of it. Alabama is reporting at least 827 cases and 10 deaths. To give some perspective, in just the last 6 days, the number of infections in the U.S. went up 3 times, in SC 3 times, and in AL 4 times.

The most remarkable and sobering remark of yesterday came from Dr. Anthony Fauci who said on the talk shows that millions of Americans would become infected and between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans might die of the virus. If he is right, and we have no reason to believe this expert to be wrong, we are in for a very rough next few months. We have not seen anywhere near the worst yet. 

Unfortunately we have a president who sees everything in terms of public relations, his own. After Fauci's remark, Trump actually said on TV 100-200,000 deaths would be "a very good job." One hundred to two hundred thousand Americans dying would be a "good job"? Such a remark is beyond appalling. It is ghastly. What kind of a national leader would say such a thing? But then, this sort of thoughtless cruelty we have come to expect from our president. He is himself. We have no right to expect him to be anything else. In this hour of national crisis the nation calls out in agony for a Washington, a Lincoln, an FDR, or even for goodness sake a W. after 9-11. Instead, we have Buchanan, a diddler who watched helplessly as the nation fell apart. Trump is a follower, not a leader. Right now the fight in Washington is between the forces for people and the forces for property. Trump is vacillating back and forth between them. Drs. Fauci and Birx are leading the charge for people. Let us hope and pray the president follows them.  

Thank God for the many public officials who are arising to meet the public needs in this dark hour of national crisis. I pray for Dr. Fauci every day. I am not sure he can survive the concerted right-wing smear campaign arising on the Internet right now. The lunatic right is after Fauci because he has the nerve to go behind Trump telling the nation the truth.

As many of you I am sure, I watched church on the Internet yesterday. Thank you, clergy of Grace Church Cathedral for as good an electronic church as we are going to get. The readings of yesterday were eerily timely. The Valley of Dry Bones is one of my favorite readings of the year. Dry bones are as lifeless as imaginable. No skin, no muscle, no tissue at all, just naked bone. Yet, "the bones came together, bone to its bone." Multitudes arose alive, as the Lord said, "I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live." Thus, what seemed to be completely dead and ended was not. The spirit of God brought new life in order to lead His people back to Israel. Likewise, Lazarus was dead. His life was ended. Then Jesus appeared on the scene. Mary was none too happy with him, in fact, chided him---if you had been here he would not have died. How many times do we feel that God has abandoned us? Jesus replied to her, "if you believed, you would see the glory of God." Jesus then called for Lazarus to come out, and he did. As with the bones, what seemed to be hopelessly ended forever was not really. The divine power of the universe gives us the life that we may not be able to see until we have the faith to open our eyes to it. The bones and Lazarus found new life, and so will we. We  may feel "dead" right now because we are helpless against the merciless virus. Nevertheless, we have to know the plague will come to an end one day. The transcendent power of God will bring us new life as he brought to people throughout the Bible. We may not be able to see it now, but we must have faith that it will happen.

Let's keep in mind we were made for the living of this hour. Peace.

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UPDATE. The officials of St. Andrew's Church, of Mt. Pleasant, released this statement today:  "Steve Wood is off the ventilator and breathing on his own. Give thanks for this good news and continue to pray for Steve, his family, and those who care for him." Indeed, let us remember all those at St. Andrew's who have tested positive and who have been exposed to the virus.