Never Going Back

If you are to survive all that has and is happening in 2020 get this through your thick skull: You can never go back. This can be a hard truth, especially for us older folks, but we need to accept it to survive. Let me give you some examples.

Work. Work will no longer be a noun. For most, it will no longer be a place you go to. It will be a thing you do. There have been too many jobs, we discovered in 2020, that can be done best from home. The costs of commuting, providing workspace, and dealing with the personnel conflicts that arise from “office politics” will drive this change. For many, but not all, work is no longer a place.

Shopping. If it can’t be delivered to our homes, we probably don’t need it.

Health. Health will no longer be something we entrust to our health care providers. In 2020, we learned that they don’t know everything; in some cases, don’t know anything. Health will have to be a matter of personal responsibility. We listen to those with more knowledge and experience, but we decide for ourselves. We can’t trust everyone with a medical degree or those that wear white. Our health is just too personal and too important.

Education. We should have learned in 2020 that we can’t trust educators. We saw the products of education complaining, rioting, looting with an obvious lack of knowledge of history or the function of government. 2020 will be the year that “home schooling” really takes off. 

Government.  After 2020 we would be fools to look to the government to protect our rights or ensure our security. After 2020, we can expect gun ownership and distrust of politicians to, if possible, escalate. We are responsible for preserving our rights and providing our physical and financial security.

Policing. After a brief (I hope) period of insanity, we will learn that we need better trained and better-paid police and, sadly, probably a lot more of them. 

Church. Since churches have been allowed to reopen, pastors have been disappointed to see that many of their flock are not returning. Some of the sheep are probably still afraid of COVID-19. Some, I believe, have finally realized that the strength of their relationship with Jesus isn’t measured by church attendance. A recent article addressed to church leaders, confirmed the pressures on pastors of “meeting the budget and filling the seats.”  This time away from church has made many, I believe, recognize that church shouldn’t be modeled on schools or hospitals. The goal of followers shouldn’t be to get folks to Church but to get them to Jesus. If they are to survive, churches can’t go back.

Smiling. One thing I pray we go back to is smiling. You can’t smile at folks with a mask on and that’s just sad.