Rise & Shine - November 22, 2020

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The Front Line of Care

Rise & Shine November 22nd

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Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Commentary from Facilitator Maggie Gough:
As we face the resign tidal wave of COVID - 19, I found the Rev. Alissabeth Newton’s post (shown below) incredibly valuable. Her husband’s sentiment regarding our role in the front line was an interesting shift of perspective. Paired with this weeks’ reading, it begs us to consider the role we play in caring for the welfare of humanity.

Alissabeth Newton, Episcopal Priest who leads the College of Congregational Development posted the following on her Facebook page last week. “Last night, after coming home from a twelve hour day caring for multiple COVID patients in an understaffed hospital that is currently dealing with multiple staff outbreaks, my spouse told me that he doesn't like the term 'front line' for his work as a hospital RT. "We are the last line," he told me. "The front line should be the community, everyone wearing masks and staying safe. That is the front line of defense." To say health care workers are tired is an understatement. The cost is very high for them. And their families."

In the News

Fauci: Vaccine Results Are ‘Important Advance,’ But Virus Precautions Are Still Vital

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's foremost infectious disease expert, tells NPR that it's "OK to celebrate" the good news about Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, but warned it's not the time to back off on basic health measures.

The biotechnology Moderna Inc. said Monday that its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing the disease, according to data from its clinical trial.

"From a scientific and potential public health standpoint, this is an extraordinarily important advance," Fauci told Rachel Martin on Morning Edition Tuesday.

Continue reading Fauci: Vaccine Results Are ‘Important Advance,’ But Virus Precautions Are Still Vital by James Doubek from NPR