Anglicans Ablaze Publication Update

I was unable to publish Anglicans Ablaze on Friday, Saturday, and Monday because I did not have access to the internet as the university was in the process of transitioning to online classes on Friday due to the coronavirus outbreak and the library was closed on Saturday due to the spring break. The new modem that I had ordered did not arrive until late Monday and it took me the better part of Tuesday to set up the modem. I am hoping to be able to post Anglicans Ablaze on a more regular basis since I now have internet access at home.

I will continue to post as much useful information about the coronavirus and the local church as I can. I will be looking for articles and resources that will help local churches provide support not only to their members but also to their communities.

One thing that I noticed in my community is that stores are providing sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer to customers when they enter the store, enabling them to disinfect the handles of shopping carts, but they are not disinfecting touchscreens and keypads at checkout counters or providing sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer to customers who use store restrooms.

A number of university students, as I have previously noted, dismiss the seriousness of the virus and are ignoring the university's advice to go home for the spring break, to avoid traveling and large gatherings, and to keep their social contacts with other people to a minimum. One young man was boasting that his body would "throw off" the virus and therefore he was not going to change his plans for the spring break. He was unconcerned that if he became infected, he might infect other people.

Jesus taught that we should treat others as we would be treated. We also should love our "neighbors" as ourselves. This means that we should be concerned about not only protecting ourselves from infection but also protecting other people--particularly the elderly, those who have serious health problems, and those who have auto immune diseases. We should not like that young man put our pursuit of our self-interest before the well-being of others.