Items

• 
  2021-10-06

  Reflecting on life. Life has been hard.

  It was August 25th, 2019. I had finally reached my parents’ house, all of our belongings* (all that could fit in one car*) in tow, back in my home state of New York. I didn’t want to be here – I grew up in NY, and until two years ago, never intended on coming back. I like to call it the “tectonic plates of life” moving, that moment when you feel something big on the horizon and suddenly, oh hey, here’s a big life decision you didn’t plan on having to make, have fun! Circumstances change, yeah. Life is a pretty unpredictable time warp, and global warming is such a serious issue; it was already sorta tough to not focus on the negatives before 2020. Relationship issues, financial issues, family issues – so many volumes of problems. I already felt like I had lost everything, pride included. Nothing could have prepared me for the pure stress that inevitably comes from a worldwide pandemic. Moving back into my parents’ house as a single parent in her 30’s was just about the biggest pill I could swallow that autumn. Since I had decided to work at Starbucks again, I finally made up my mind to go to college for the first time. In February, I enrolled in summer classes to start at ASU. I was hearing something about a coronavirus, but I wasn’t paying much attention to the news with taking placement tests for college in between working. In March, my daughter’s school closed, and so did Starbucks. It’s hard. It’s hard to not focus on the bad, and it’s so odd to think fondly of the not-so-bad before it. Life just feels a little bit harder. A lot bit, with the increasing violence, hatred and misinformation being spread on a daily basis. Everyone’s experiencing repercussions in one way or another; but something I cannot deny – the something I’m most grateful for: how much I’ve grown, emotionally and mentally. Maybe I can’t credit the stress from the pandemic completely, but it has certainly put all of my other stress in a different perspective. It turned my attention to world issues – I stopped being so wrapped up with myself and my own country, started learning about other cultures after starting college – falling so deeply for that education that I decided to major in Anthropology, with a Minor in Religious Studies. I watched a Ted Talk once that described the good effects of stress.. I feel as if I’m a better human, or at least, a more knowledgeable one. A lot has changed in the past two years. I started college, moved into my own place, moved back into parents’ (hi, tectonic plates!), went from being faithfully Christian to super agnostic/atheist (that was mentally difficult and I’m still processing it) and although I am quite bitter with life in general, I’m also much happier with it, and with myself. I'm a better mom for it. Life has felt like a constant challenge for years now, but I appreciate how easy it is to appreciate the simple things. I may find it annoying that everyone is more on edge, but honestly, who can blame them? Good on everyone for putting up with life! All we can do is learn and grow. And treat the planet well, guys. Let’s do that, too.
• 
  2020-06-09

  Wash Your Hands and Say Your Prayers

  St. Paul Lutheran Church, located in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, hangs signs encouraging the public to "Wash Your Hands and Say Your Prayers." During the pandemic churches, including this one, have not been able to hold in-person services as part of the stay home order.
• 
  04/01/2020

  Lena Oral History, 2020/04/01

  Thao Vu interviews Lena on how they feel religion intersects with the COVID-10 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-01

  “Well, covid-19 has not really affected my beliefs too much..."

  “Well, covid-19 has not really affected my beliefs too much because we have the flu and we had H1N1 and other diseases and I mean there's nothing really that has changed with my beliefs. I'm a Christian so you know I believe that some things happen and God will allow some things to happen and that doesn't mean that he doesn't love us.”
• 
  2020-04-29

  A Christian couple's thoughts on COVID-19

  Email of journal entries from Marilyn Irwin: "Katie, I’ve been reading psalms and making journal entries....here are a few. Psalms 27:1-6 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? There is so much fear today due to the Coronavirus. We seem to forget that God has each of us in his hands. If we suffer, we suffer for His glory. We can take all the precautions but when it’s our time, clean hands won’t save us. I will dwell in the house of the Lord. I do pray Lord that You bring an end to the virus. I pray you watch over my family and Scott’s family. I especially pray for Donnie, Jo, Janel, and the kids. I pray they have a good visit and that Donnie and Jo get to come home to NH safely. I also pray for healing. Help me to understand my part in their lives. Psalms 28:6-9 As the pandemic continues to grow, we need to remember we are God’s people and he is our shield. He hears our cry. This is a trial we must endure. Panic and fear will not make the virus go away. Psalms 31:1-8 In this time of the unknown, I hope more people find you and take refuge in you. It’s only been a couple of weeks and people are already getting cabin fever. We don’t know what life will look like in the next couple of months. I am trying to follow Your word and cast out fear. I love you Lord and I praise you. Let Your will be done. Psalms 31:9-18 So many of us now are in distress, consumed by what might happen. So many are looking to their own strength to get through this pandemic. Our focus needs to be on you Lord. I am in your hands. Please help me to remember I have no power to change what is happening right now but I do have the power to change the way I think about it. Psalms 31: 19-24 My hope is in the Lord. I must trust His plan though I don’t understand why this is happening. I do pray more people will turn to the Lord. I pray people can still see the beauty in this world. I pray they feel God’s love. I pray we become a stronger, more self sufficient nation and that this nation will turn to you Lord for strength and understanding. I pray more people will open Your word and find comfort in it. When they see the sunrise or a flower in bloom, I pray they see You." Scott Irwin's email: "Our church is a very close knit family.. not the high tech, service streaming type church that has people who watch every week but never come meet anyone. So.. Covid-19 really turned our format of church upside down. Now our small group bible studies on Wednesday's and other days meet using Zoom and the Sunday Service is prerecorded on U-Tube and released at 10:30 am Sundays. During the week the Pastors rotate back and forth doing Daily Devotionals, releasing them about 8:00 am each morning in a church wide email link to the video. It is a little strange.. being cooped up here at home. Our scheduled Bible Studies with church groups are now on Zoom and my CBMC studies are also using Zoom. We don't go out to eat or to the YMCA. We make a few trips to Walmart using their curbside pickup to get food. But, the rest of our schedule is pretty much the same. We sail some on the lake when the wind is just right. We are doing an exercise routine on U-Tube at the same time as a neighbor friend. I'm doing a little more gardening and cabin projects are getting done. Evenings find us relaxing in the hot tub.. Marilyn with her plastic glass of wine. I think mostly not going to church and seeing our friends is the biggest inconvenience. That and our house shopping we like to do after church on Sundays. We know God has a plan in all this and He is working His plan. Things are going to work out and life is going to go on. I'm not sure what things will be like 6 months from now but we aren't worried about it. God is Good. Dad"
• 
  2020-04-16

  Hindu Nationalists Blame Muslims For India's COVID-19 Crisis

  This article discusses the growing tensions between Hindu nationalists and Muslims in India. Hindu's have been blaming many of the problems in Indian society on Muslims and Christian missionaries, but this is another example of them attempting to place the blame on Coronavirus on Muslims. India is ripe for a coronavirus explosion in cases due to the large number of people in these packed together spaces. There are multiple false videos circulating through Whatsapp and other various social media sites like Facebook depicting Muslims spitting and distributing currency and attempting to spread the virus. This video is false. Additionally, there was a massive Islamic conference that helped spread the virus through different parts of the country which has enflared tempers and made the situation worse. On top of the pandemic, India needs to find a way to cool religious tensions or there will be even greater ramifications than the virus. For now, as NPR notes, India needs to focus on the response and figure out how to flag false information on Whatsapp and other social media.
• 
  2020-04-01

  'It's Like a Lifeline.' How Religious Leaders Are Helping People Stay Connected in a Time of Isolation

  This article does a great job detailing how religious leaders in Christianity and Judaism are aware of the major problem of Covid-19. They have shut down their temples for prayer, but they will still get their message of unity and faith across to the community. The article also details the major changes to usual rituals in churches and temples.
• 
  2020-04-04

  The rightwing Christian preachers in deep denial over Covid-19's danger

  The article discuses how Covid-19 has been ignored and not taken seriously by some of the Christian Pastors and leaders within the relgion by not dismantling all social gatherings. The article explains how for some Christian leaders, they have been disobeying orders given by their states to no longer hold any more social gatherings until further notice which have resulted in arrestment. These leaders are/were trying to convince the masses that through more intensive Christianity practices, those who participate will become immune and from a global scale, the virus can be defeated.
• 
  2020-04-05

  Priests, ministers, rabbis and other religious leaders go online to connect with faithful, but miss the personal touch

  Though nearly every religion has used online streaming to connect with their congregations during the pandemic, preachers and parishioners alike are missing the personal contact that comes with in-person services.
• 
  2020-03-14

  For millions of Americans, no church on Sunday is coronavirus’s cruelest closure so far

  The article talks about how Christians in America are devastated that churches had to close due to the pandemis that is going on, especially during this holy time (Lent and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ). In the article, they expressed how deep of a loss this is for them because no church means no Communion or confession, two of the most important practices of Christianity. They also claim that live streaming Masses is not the same as feeling Jesus in an actual Sunday service.
• 
  2006-04-10

  Bakersfield churches celebrate Easter in a new way

  The premiss of this article is how community members in Bakersfield, California plan on spending Easter holiday with the shutdowns of everything but essential places. Deborah Leary had never missed going to a Good Friday service even when 9/11 took place, has to now watch Good Friday service online due to COVID-19. Many people are relying on live streams for their religious services and believe these times will teach them that they can still get sermons or other religious services by not having to physically attend a place of worship.
• 
  2020-04-18

  Looking at religion during the COVID-19 pandemic

  This article talks about the life for christians since the COVID-19 breakout that has happened in the United States. Most importantly is it talks about how people need hope during this time of distress and how the church can bring such thing into peoples lives. It also discusses how people have adapted to still fulfill there religious obligation even with everything that is going on. From having confession outside, park and pray, and so much more.