Microscopic Coronavirus
Electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19. United Methodist churches in the Seattle area have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak there. (Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
Summertime is almost over, and the living has been anything but easy where the coronavirus pandemic is concerned.
The Washington Post reports: Live updates: U.S. coronavirus cases nearly quadrupled during summer season. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, “the number of Americans who died of covid-19 shot up from just less than 100,000 to more than 186,000, according to data tracked by The Washington Post, as infections nearly quadrupled to upward of 6.2 million.”
Even more drastic, The Guardian reports: “The death rate in the US from COVID-19 among African Americans and Latinos is rising sharply, exacerbating the already staggering racial divide in the impact of the pandemic which has particularly devastated communities of color.
“ … The latest figures record that in the two weeks from 4 to 18 August the death rate of African Americans shot up from 80 to 88 per 100,000 population – an increase of eight per 100,000. By contrast the white population suffered half that increase, from 36 to 40 per 100,000, an increase of 4 per 100,000.”
The coronavirus pandemic also has resulted in increased hunger and food insecurity among low-income children whose federally subsidized school meals are often their only daily nutrition, reports NPR. “Among low-income households with children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, only about 15% have been getting those meals, said Lauren Bauer, a researcher at the Brookings Institution. She's been poring over the results of the U.S. Census Bureau's weekly Household Pulse Survey.”
The good news is that in many cases, United Methodist individuals and congregations have stepped to meet some of the public health, social and economic needs caused by the pandemic. UM News reporters have chronicled how grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief have provided the means for churches and church-related ministries to feed and care for their communities during the pandemic. The General Board of Global Ministries has a two-part series on UMCOR’s “Sheltering in Love” program of coronavirus pandemic aid.
As Mr. Rogers said, when bad things happen, look for the helpers. United Methodists are out there helping, so let’s give them as much support as we can.
It’s not a crisis, but it’s a crime
As if Iowa United Methodists didn’t have enough on their plates recovering from the aftermath of the Aug. 10 derecho, once again somebody is sending out scam emails pretending to be Bishop Laurie Haller asking for donations. The conference warns:
“It has come to our attention that yet again, someone is sending email requests pretending to be Bishop Laurie Haller.
“Delete these emails and block the sender.
“Please know that she, conference leadership, and other church leaders will never ask you to send them gift cards or money. Please also remember that any email from the Conference will end in @iaumc.org.”
Churches and annual conferences throughout United Methodism have been plagued by this disgraceful scam. Be a wise consumer and don’t fall for it. Your donations are needed by your local congregation and UMCOR to help people suffering from the world’s crises.
Another ‘Dismantling Racism’ town hall coming
The next virtual Town Hall in the "Dismantling Racism" initiative is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 16. United Methodist scholars will discuss the theological roots of racism and colonialism. This will be an important session, because it likely will delve into the cloak of white supremacy that hangs over American Christianity. If you’d like some advance prep, we recommend White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, the new book by Robert P. Jones, CEO and founder of PRRI, a religion research group. Find more United Methodist resources on the church’s web page, “End Racism.”
Climate by the numbers
As wildfires seek to consume the American West, the Guardian’s Green Light newsletter reported these figures on the amount of carbon dioxide, a gas that increases Earth’s temperature:
Weekly averages
Sept. 5, 2020: 411.59 ppm
This time last year: 408.82 ppm
10 years ago: 387.59 ppm
Pre-industrial base: 280
Safe level: 350
Atmospheric CO2 reading from Mauna Loa, Hawaii (part per million). Source: NOAA-ESRL
The newsletter continued: “Scientists have warned for more than a decade that concentrations of more than 450ppm risk triggering extreme weather events and temperature rises as high as 2C, beyond which the effects of global heating are likely to become catastrophic and irreversible. Read more about The Guardian’s weekly carbon count”
Every bit we do as individuals to reduce our carbon footprint helps, but ultimately we need to be advocates for sweeping public policies to wean us off fossil fuels and transform our systems to green energy. United Methodist Insight will participate with Covering Climate Now in a week of climate emergency reports during the week of Sept. 21. Consider using the articles as study materials for your church.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.