A World Changed Forever

I get the feeling that our world, through this pandemic, is being changed forever.

I have been working out of my home for decades. After this is over, I think it’s obvious that many will work “remotely” from now on. It will be a dramatic change in the workforce. As employers and workers both discover that much can be accomplished with great efficiency through remote employment. I am also convinced that many will learn that “working from home” is not for them. It takes a certain personality to work remotely. One has to be self-motivating. It’s also necessary to be able to work at all hours and on any day. The work is determined by the need and not just the calendar. The work world will change.

The social world will change as well. We won’t hug or shake hands as readily as we once did. We will, perhaps forever, view others as potential sources of disease. Sports events won’t be the same as we shy away from gatherings of perhaps thousands of germ-infested humans. 

Eating out will be rarer. As will shopping. The easy of remote dining and shopping will prove too addictive for most of us.

I think the church will change as well. People may learn that it’s just as spiritually uplifting to participate in services online as it is to get dressed, fight traffic and go to an “organized” service. One part of church life that I think will be enhanced is small groups. I believe most of us have missed gathering with our prayer or small groups much more than we have missed Sunday services. The importance of these small groups to our social and spiritual lives, I believe, is being emphasized these days. 

The world is about to change forever. I hope for the better. I hope grandkids don’t forget how great a grandpa’s hug is. That’s one change I couldn’t bear.