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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPT.22: Chris Duncan, whose 75-year-old mother Constance died from COVID on her birthday, photographs a COVID Memorial Project installation of 20,000 American flags on the National Mall as the United States crosses the 200,000 lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic Sept. 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. The flags are displayed on the grounds of the Washington Monument facing the White House. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A United Methodist Insight Column
Students at UMC-related Duke University in Durham, N.C., are trying to fight the impact of the climate emergency, so they did what “digital native” generations do: they made a website.
'An imperative': Duke students build website to make fighting climate change easier by Emily Zhao in the Duke Chronicle tells how “sophomores Alec James and Will Reynolds founded You Change Earth, a website that provides users with a personalized guide to climate action.”
Still somewhat in its “beta” or testing phase, You Change Earth “asks users a series of questions about their lifestyle and living situation, and then recommends a list of climate-oriented projects such as setting up a community compost system. Each project proposed on the site includes an average time commitment and concrete steps, so users are more likely to take action,” Ms. Zhao wrote.
The website’s founders plan an upgrade by Sept. 25 and are also reaching out to other climate activists to publicize their creation. Mr. James told the Chronicle that for young people, getting involved in climate activism is no longer a choice. “It’s an imperative,” he told Ms. Zhao.
‘Enormous and tragic’
As we reported on Sept. 21, the United States has now lost more than 200,000 people to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Bill Chappell of National Public Radio documents the impact of the pandemic in his article, 'Enormous And Tragic': U.S. Has Lost More Than 200,000 People To COVID-19. He writes:
“COVID-19 is now one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., which has reported more than 6.8 million coronavirus cases – more than any other country, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. More than 31 million cases have been reported worldwide, including more than 965,000 deaths.
“ … Many of the U.S. COVID-19 deaths likely would have been prevented by widespread use of face masks, social distancing and other measures, said Bob Bednarczyk, assistant professor of global health and epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta.
"’Seeing this number of COVID-19-related deaths is concerning because it shows we really have not done enough to control this pandemic, and we are experiencing a tremendous amount of unnecessary suffering,’ Bednarczyk said.”
In addition, historian Heather Cox Richardson noted in her Sept. 21 blog post that a new study conducted by a team led by associate sociology professor Ashton Verdery at Pennsylvania State University has concluded that “every COVID-19 death leaves an average of nine survivors who have lost a grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse or child. That’s close to 2 million Americans in mourning for a close relative.”
Think of it: 2 million people in the United States are in active stages of grief for loved ones lost to COVID-19. While we can express our sympathy through digital means, we are still denied the opportunity to grieve together in person because such a gathering could provide infectious and even fatal.
The Indiana Annual Conference sent a letter this week that aptly represents the situation for around in-person gatherings for most regions of the U.S. church:
“When COVID reared its ugly head last spring, little did we know that it would still be affecting our world as greatly as it is. Even now, 6 months into the virus, Indiana remains in Stage 4.5 as we work to get “Back on track.” “The Indiana Conference continues to encourage pastors to lead their churches with the “Do no harm” mindset, following state and federal guidelines:
- “Require face coverings. (Do we like them? No. But they have been proven to lessen the spread of germs.) Have extra masks on hand just in case someone in your congregation needs one.
- “Restrict your worship gatherings to a maximum of 250 people. (Additional restrictions may apply in specific counties or municipalities.) Consider adding additional services if needed.
- “Practice social distancing at all times. Family units must be at least 6 feet apart. Use tape to mark 6-feet increments in your sanctuary, alternating rows when possible.
- “Offer virtual services. If most of your congregation is 65 years or older, using livestream may continue to be the safest option for your church.
- “Clean the church after each service and disinfect high-contact surfaces regularly.
- “Implement no-contact greetings.
- “Avoid handing out bulletins.
- “Place hand sanitizing stations around the building.
- “Dismiss services in a way that lessens contact.
“We encourage you to continue to find healthy ways to serve and encourage your communities. Let’s work together to provide safe worship environments during this difficult time.”
To which we can only add: Amen.
Media Mentions as of Sept. 22, 2020
ICE apprehension on church grounds violated federal policy, say faith leaders – Religion News Service
Fix broken migration policy, religious leaders say – UM News
Worries over human rights in Philippines – National Council of Churches
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.