Rev. Archpriest Keith Lowe

Life will not be the same after we get through this coronavirus lockdown.

But while we try to go about our lives today during the pandemic, life is different.

I go to the grocery store and I notice that shoppers are more polite and sensitive to our fellow humanity.

We have heard the expression of doing random acts of kindness.

For example, my recent shopping experience was that there was calm in store's aisles, patience with fellow shoppers and when I got to the cashier I had a great feeling that I like this friendly shopping.

After I left the store and packed my groceries into the boot of the car, a man came up to me and said that he didn't work for the store but would take my shopping cart to the cart corral. Never have I had ever experienced anything that I did today in the two stores I visited; courtesy and patience have kissed one another.

I think back to my experience in a similar situation after 9/11 I noticed a change in people's attitudes.

Is it that we have come to grips with our own mortality with the understanding that life is fragile? Is it a case that “But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven.” (Mt. 24:36)

Jesus warns us to live every day as if it was to be our last.

We all wear masks and some wore them before we all had to take this precaution.

Is it a case that we wanted to be protected from someone else or is it a case that we wanted to protect the innocent from ourselves! I hope the latter!

While our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is the physician of souls and bodies, and it our sincere confidence and trust in Him while we comply with governor's order combined with the advice of the medical community, we will get through this situation.

At the same time we should give thanks to God that we live in a city, township and county where the populace is, for the most part, responsible citizens who are respectful and I hope more God fearing.

Genesis 1:26 tells us “God said, 'Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.

“God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

The Scriptures provide a compass as to whom we are. Why do we need a pandemic or a 9/11 to remember that this is not a dress rehearsal to be respectful and to care for one another. ?

This pandemic will come to pass, in the fullness of time, but do we need historical events to remind us of who we are that we are all in it together? That respect and care for one another is the bedrock of our faith in God?

We will get through this and our walking stick, as we stumble along, is our faith in God and our knowledge of God is our compass and our prayers are our footsteps.

I raise my right hand and bless you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit saying, “May Yahweh bless you and keep you. May Yahweh let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May Yahweh show you his face and bring you peace.” Numbers 6: 24-26

The Rev. Archpriest Keith W. Lowe is the pastor of St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Lyndora.