India COVID-19 cases
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In the United States, we’re beginning to gather in person again for worship and other activities as coronavirus vaccinations ease the possibility of infection. At the same time, the country of India is suffering a horrific plague from the coronavirus.
From The Lily newsletter May 3: “India’s catastrophic coronavirus crisis is worsening, now accounting for more than 1 in 3 reported cases in the world. People of Indian descent around the world are watching desperately from afar, and some are mobilizing aid.”
Educator and writer Rani Neutill described the situation thus on The Lily website:
“I am filled with guilt. Thousands of miles away, my friends and family are living in fear of catching the virus from the sheer act of breathing. Those I love most are losing those they love most. They are staying home, because if they were to catch the virus, there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to save them. Even going to get vaccinated is an extreme risk.
“The stark contrast of privilege here and my childhood home has never been more palpable.
“The country is reporting more than 350,000 new cases of covid-19 every day. The government claims that the death toll has reached over 200,000, but that is a vast underestimate of the actual number of deaths.”
India’s outbreak is fueling a global surge in coronavirus deaths, with some 3.2 million people worldwide killed by COVID-19.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief announced last week that it is working with mission partners to provide aid to India. People can support those efforts by giving to Advance #3022612. United Methodists also may wish to turn to other groups and organizations mobilizing aid. Among them is a list of aid agencies being compiled by Lavanya Daradhalli Jaiprakash, a managing director at public relations firm Hudson Cutler, according to The Lily website.
Another benefactor highlighted by The Lily, Sana Javeri Kadri, also has been compiling and coordinating relief efforts for India. Kadri is the founder and chief executive of Diaspora Co., an ethically sourced, direct-trade spice company based in Oakland, Calif. She insists that anyone with an affinity for India and its culture has a responsibility to help. The Lily quotes her: “If you ‘create content around Indian cuisine or Indian culture, if you teach yoga, if you celebrated Holi recently, if you source anything in your supply chain from India, this is on you,’ she said. ‘If we can’t see India getting through this, the culture that we all profit from will not continue to exist.’”
All of us can pray for India and pray to be led by God to whatever help we United Methodists can provide.
An outpouring of COVID-19 relief
Speaking of UMCOR’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the agency reports that over the past year it has collected and disbursed 230 grants totaling more than $2.3 million for continued care and compassion in the fight against COVID-19 through the Sheltering in Love campaign and Global Ministries unit programming. UMCOR and Global Ministries have achieved this worldwide response through “collaborations with health professionals, missionaries, disaster management coordinators and faith leaders.
That’s an accomplishment we can celebrate even as we continue to struggle to overcome the coronavirus.
Louisiana hurricane recovery moves forward
Putting it mildly, “the road to recovery [from the 2020 hurricane season] has been a long one in southwest Louisiana,” writes Mark Lambert on the Louisiana Conference website. Case management has just begun after nine months of sorting through the damages wrought by Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
Why has it taken the conference so long to get to individual cases? The Rev. Elaine Burleigh, director of the office of missional engagement and outreach, had answers at an April 25 meeting at St. Luke Simpson UMC in Lake Charles, La., to inform clergy and volunteers about the latest developments.
“In previous disasters, the Louisiana Conference had ample resources to go big and do everything we possibly could to address the trauma created by those storms,” Burleigh said. “Then we move to 2020, and we have multiple hurricanes and tropical storms in the middle of a pandemic. Our donations have been way down, mostly because of the economic downturn. We have to do significantly more with significantly less.”
Lambert’s story continued: “In previous disasters, the Conference responded by offering a wide range of disaster relief services – from case management, donations management, recruiting and deploying volunteers, and rebuilding or repairing damaged homes. With fewer resources available this time, the Conference will focus on just two of the four ‘traditional’ relief services – case management and volunteer recruitment, while partnering with other organizations that will offer donations and construction management.”
To help folks in Louisiana recover from hurricane damage, go to the conference donation page online. Instructions for sending checks are also on this page.
Preparing your congregation for climate disasters
One thing that frustrated us during April’s special #ClimateEmergency coverage was a lack of response to our inquiries about readiness in United Methodist annual conferences and local congregations for climate disasters such as the deep freeze that struck Texas in February. We’ll continue to pursue the question, but in the meantime, the ecumenical group, Creation Justice Ministries, plans a webinar at 6:30 PM (EDT) May 13, “Preparing Your Congregation for Climate Disasters.” The webinar’s focus: “How can our congregations be hubs of climate resilience, helping our communities weather the spiritual and physical storms of the climate crisis?” Click here for more information and to register.
Also check out Creation Justice’s May Action Center for more ways to help steward God’s creation.
Media mentions as of May 3, 2021
Americans return to in-person church with emotion — and uncertainty about the future of worship – The Washington Post *
Historic Houston church leaves United Methodist Church over LGBTQ stance – Religion News Service
As Methodist Church heads for split over LGBTQ disagreement, local pastor remains focused – Montrose Daily Press
The beloved church coffee hour may soon return as COVID-19 fades – Religion News Service
Lubbock votes to ban abortion, setting up likely legal fight – The Associated Press
Mindfulness meditation is now a staple in public schools, and thanks to Zoom, widely accessible – Religion News Service
The perilous state of religious freedom worldwide – National Review *
America is home to religion and reason. The state helps both by protecting freedom – The Fresno Bee *
Religion both helped and hurt during the pandemic – Scientific American *
* Paid subscription required.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.