It is Time

Friday afternoon I received a call from the lady who runs the American Cleaners kiosk in our HEB. I knew I had clothes there but since “shelter in place” it had been difficult to get to their kiosk when their limited hours noted they were open. She called to remind me I had clothes there and I needed to pick them up because American Cleaners was closing that location. I wished I could say I was not surprised, but I can’t. The sad fact is that since I started dressing a little sharper in my last church, having my shirts heavy starched and later jeans the same, I have not found a cleaner quite like these folks. They would check my shirts for spots, sew on buttons I forgot to mention were loose, and just deliver extraordinary service. The lady told me, since shelter in place and work from home their business had been hit by two things, one less traffic and since folks were working from home, less cleaning and laundry.

American Cleaners is not the only small business closing their doors for good. This pandemic has not been kind to small businesses. So, the unemployment rate soars, large businesses and corporations are shedding workers like snakes shedding their skins.

The genius of our system of government should shine in times like these. Here is why. First, we need to be honest about where we are in our national life. We are at war again. Simply, that is where we are. However, this time, it is not the communists, or the Nazis, it is a pernicious virus which for whatever reasons, we have been unsuccessful in containing. There is lots of blame to go around, but the reality is this virus has created deep divisions in our country, it has put millions of Americans at risk, attempting to slow the spread has shipwrecked our economy, and overtaxed our institutions of medicine,our hospitals, and research scientists racing for a vaccine.

So here is where the genius of our system of government comes in. At the national level, when the House of Representatives gathers, and when the Senate gathers, all Americans are theoretically represented in these two sitting bodies. At the state level, the same is true for our state legislature and our state senate. Every person in Texas is theoretically represented in this deliberative body. You might disagree as to whom this refers, but I am expansive in my application: every person in this nation, and every person in this state.

So, with all represented there is absolutely no good reason for these governmental bodies to not work together to address this war being waged not overseas but from community to community. There is absolutely no justifiable reason for Republicans or Democrats to lay aside their differences and look at the larger issues which need to be addressed and should be resolved together. No one party has the answers, and no one party can remain doctrinally pure. Frankly, this is not a time for that. If there ever is a time for that, it is not now.

Instead, what we need are statesmen and stateswomen who are willing to reach across an unnecessarily wide divide and like governmental bodies during our world wars, come together to mobilize our resources, mobilize our most skilled people, mobilize our technology while instilling in the population a patriotism focused on beating the virus, helping our neighbor, and minimizing the spread of this deadly virus. We also need those same people to lead us forward in racial justice and immigration reform because we cannot win this battle without everyone fighting on the same team being treated equally.

What we need at this time is not a divided nation, but a unified nation under-girded by the prayers of people of faith, led by people of good will, inclusive of everyone in this great country, all pushing forward in the same direction reaching for the same goals — which is a virus free nation which has been neutralized by wise action, and hopefully vaccines. Our most at risk citizens deserve this, our families deserve this, our small businesses deserve this, our first responders deserve this, our medical community deserves this, and as in the past, it is not beyond our reach.

I do believe with all my heart, it is time for all of us to grow up, focus on the enemy to be defeated, do all we can to safeguard the health of our families, support those on the front lines of this battle, find innovative ways to keep the doors of the small businesses of this nation open, give consideration, kindness, and support to those who each and every day show up for work making sure each of us have what we need.

Wash your hands, wear your mask for others, mind the gap, and be kind and patient