Daily Lesson for July 14, 2020

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Isaiah chapter 22 verses 12 through 14:

12 In that day the Lord God of hosts

    called to weeping and mourning,

    to baldness and putting on sackcloth;

13 but instead there was joy and festivity,

    killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,

    eating meat and drinking wine.

“Let us eat and drink,

    for tomorrow we die.”

14 The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:

Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,

    says the Lord God of hosts.

This morning Paul Krugman has a column titled: "America Drank Away Its Children's Future".  It's basically an indictment of the way many of our states, including Texas so quickly re-opened their economies even while COVID-19 was anything but under control, and its devastating effect on this upcoming school year.  Krugman basically says we opened bars to the detriment of schools, and thus "drank away" the school year. 

Krugman thinks the only real way out of this is a return to the almost-total shutdown of the economy we endured this past Spring; with the proviso that this time we stick to it longer and come out of it slower.

I'm afraid he's right.  It's harsh and sobering news and it frustrates and angers us all; but the truth is we are in danger of losing the economy by trying to save it, and we've jeopardized our future -- the future of our children and our country -- by trying to save the present.

I think we are going to have to let go of the present.  It's past now anyways.  COVID-19 will change us both dramatically and also inexorably.  What that looks like we don't know yet.  That is a part of what is so frightening and maddening about it.  But it is true.  And it is also true that we are now in a grieving process -- the first stage, which is usually denial.  But we will have to come to a point of some acceptance.  This is where we are now. 

So where is the hope?  The hope is in these words:  "The ones who lose their lives shall find them." "The old shall pass away"; but take heart, "the new shall come". 

And the Future which is now past, will be surprised by the Advent that is still yet to come.

At least that's the promise of the Prophet Isaiah anyhow.

And I still believe it. 

NOTE: We are reading the Bible all the way through this year.  What a year.  Tomorrow's Lesson will come from Isaiah chapters 23-27.