March 2021

The New Reality

I needed to go to the grocery store the other day. So, I went to the government website and filled out a permission form. After it was approved, I downloaded the barcode they sent me on my phone. The time frame given to me was 3pm-5pm, and they gave me a specific store to go to. I didn't have much time, so I had to hurry.

After going through the first checkpoint to ensure I was allowed to be out, I finally made it through all the traffic and to the store around 3:40pm. After standing in line at the store entrance, it was my turn to enter. They scanned the barcode on my phone and let me in as they turned others away for not having their code or not being within the proper time frame. By this time, it was after 4pm. I knew I wasn't going to make it back home by 5pm.

I checked out, and as I was leaving the store, they scanned my barcode again. The woman looked at me, and said to me, "You are over your time, madam." I pleaded with her not to give me a fine, which is the consequence of breaking the rules. "I know, I'm so sorry," I begged. "I'm going straight home right now." She nodded and let me pass. I was able to get back home without any issues.

To leave your home, you must have permission from the government. You must go where they tell you and when they tell you on your permission form. You must go through various checkpoints to verify your permission to be out. And you must pay a hefty fine if these rules are broken. This is life here right now. This is my reality.


Whom the Son Sets Free

I have been thinking a lot on the topic of freedom: what does it mean, and what does it look like in Christ? Protests have broken out again across the country. The people are fighting the government's imposition and what they believe is an infringement on their freedom. They are debating the balance between protecting citizens from Covid while maintaining their human rights and freedoms.

The country cannot go on the way it has been. Families cannot put food on their table. The starvation rate is through the roof. Businesses must be allowed to open again. Supermarkets, pharmacies, and hospitals are the only places open, and the economy is already suffering. It's been heartbreaking to watch this unfold, and I am asking the Father to let me be a light to others during this horrible time.

The current situation forces me to face my own ideas of human rights and freedoms. Are all of the closures and monitoring okay if it is done in the name of protection? How far is too far? What freedoms do we and should we have as citizens of a country?

This country is not like the U.S., and I don't have all of the answers. I do know, however, that whom the Son sets free is free indeed. He is our only hope. Not the government. Not the political leaders. Not the economy. In Him alone is our freedom. In Him alone is our hope. In Him alone is our assurance.