Coronavirus, Governments Robbing People Of Togetherness, Community

Police recently served a summons to the pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship for holding a church service for 16 people spaced far apart in a sanctuary that seats 293.  On a charge of violating Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s COVID Order Number 55, which prohibits large gatherings under penalty of a $2,500 fine and/or a year in jail. Happy Easter to Lighthouse Fellowship.

You and me we were the pretenders
We let it all slip away
In the end what you don't surrender
Well the world just strips away

                Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear then warned that anyone attending an Easter (or other) church service in his state would have to be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days. Concerned that some folks might not heed his warning, he ordered police to go through the church parking lots car by car and write down the license plate numbers of all the attendees. The police then provided the information to health departments, which will enforce the quarantines.

I ain't lookin' for prayers or pity
I ain't comin' 'round searchin' for a crutch
I just want someone to talk to
And a little of that human touch
Just a little of that human touch

The town of Beverly, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb, has set up one-way sidewalks in order to force its residents to practice social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Locals are mandated to walk in opposite directions along formerly bustling Lothrop Street, using separate sidewalks so that they do not momentarily come in close proximity to one another. Pedestrians must now walk against traffic, using the sidewalk on one side of the street if going one direction, and the one on the opposite side of the street if traveling in the other direction. Those not in compliance with the dictate are subject to fines of $100.

Oh girl that feeling of safety you prize
Well it comes with a hard hard price
You can't shut off the risk and pain
Without losin' the love that remains
We're all riders on this train  (well, we used to be)

                Numerous experts are saying it will be at least 18 months until Americans will be able to return to some semblance of normalcy  and begin to attend public gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, conferences, and religious services—or even eat in restaurants again. All of them say it is regrettable that this is the case…before adding some form of “but we have no choice.” So, until a vaccine is discovered, just shelter in place for a year and a half or so, Americans. Can’t wait to see who you—and we—are when and if we come out the other side.

You might need somethin' to hold on to
When all the answers they don't amount to much
Somebody that you can just talk to
And a little of that human touch

                The behavioral changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic-- and government’s response to it—will not be going away any time soon, even when the shelter in place orders are eased or lifted. New habits die hard, too. Fear can be very difficult to shake. And it is anything but certain that our elected officials, bureaucrats and appointed “experts” will relinquish their newfound control…especially since it came so easily. We have been told that we can’t leave our homes, can’t visit relatives in nursing homes and hospitals, and can’t attend weddings. We have even been told that we can’t attend a loved one’s funeral. Denied our ability to say goodbye, we are likewise stripped of our humanity.

                Easter was effectively banned. Memorial Day will be next. Then the Fourth of July. We have already been prevented from publicly worshipping the Lord and will likely be prevented from gathering to honor our veterans, and our nation. The world is virtually turning into a virtual realm. For some, the concept of reality is slipping away.

Artificial intelligence is not a suitable replacement for common sense. Nor can virtual reality replace the beauty and poignance of the human touch.

 Let’s hope it never does.

Baby in a world without pity
Do you think what I'm askin's too much ?
I just want to feel you in my arms
And share a little of that human touch...