Lessons Learned from an Epidemic

The coronavirus outbreak in China has brought a heightened awareness of the need to protect ourselves from contagious disease in this day of increased travel when we are more connected globally than ever before. The CDC has issued guidelines to help the public to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness for which there is no vaccine.

I am reminded of the scare of the SARS epidemic of 2003. SARS was frightening because it was swift, deadly, highly contagious, and there was no vaccine available.  

My late friend, Jerry Moye, lived in Hong Kong at the time, teaching at the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary.  During that SARS outbreak, Jerry described to me the safety measures that were being taken. Schools were closed, public outings were limited. Everyone tried to protect themselves from contamination. Jerry told me that the Chinese church that he attended decided to continue with limited Sunday worship, with no children’s programs, and opening the church only for those adults who were well and wanted to come. Jerry made the comment about what a sight it was to see the choir members singing while wearing surgical masks. 

That comment about church and surgical masks provided me with some insight about how we relate to one another which I elaborated upon in my poem, Unmasking the Mask.

Unmasking the Mask

  

In spite of the epidemic

The people gather on Sunday morning.

Singing hymns and greeting one another

Through surgical masks,

They are determined to carry on.

The sight of all those masks in church

Seems odd at first,

But we always wore the mask.

Sometimes an outsider,

Or a prophet,

Would challenge us

Using words like,

"Hypocrite,"

"Socialite,"

"Plastic saint."

Most of us

Allowed each other

The saving of face

By ignoring the mask.

Now, every mask is out in the open

Like flags of solidarity.

In the clear light of the epidemic

We see that sometimes a mask is needed

For protection.

There is always a risk,

Epidemic or not,

When we draw close to one another.

When we know it is safe,

We will remove the mask.

Until then

We will grant each other the right

To speak through the mask.

We all know

That touching and knowing

Are better than proximity,

That proximity

Is better than isolation.

We will venture as close as we can

And grant each other a safe place.

Mask or no mask.

                                     ~ Charles Kinnaird

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