Today is day 14 of #LockdownSA2020. Charles Dickens wrote a novel with the opening paragraph, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” One could say the same about this lockdown period because there’s nothing ordinary about what is unfolding around us. Every lockdown day is filled with good news and bad news. My thoughts and prayers go out to people trapped in abusive homes or struggling with isolation during the coronavirus lockdown.
With the country fixated on the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have forgotten about the supermoon on day 13. It was the brightest and the closest to Earth so far this year. We are, for the most part, social animals. Isolation isn’t a natural state for many. However, we are part of the solution in “flattening the curve” to lower the death rate caused by the novel coronavirus. It is heart-warming to read about the production of personal protective gear (PPE) by staff and students at Nelson Mandela University. Motor manufacturers overseas have also indicated that they will be producing PPE’s.
Meanwhile, university students and matriculants are becoming more anxious about their academic year. Professor Jonathan Jansen wrote a thought-provoking article in a reputable newspaper today. He said COVID-19 is not the cause of the schooling crisis; it has just exposed how huge the inequalities in SA education are. How do you continue online teaching if most learners do not have access to basic needs like running water and electricity? The miracle of online platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Moodle and other technologies are worthless if most pupils and students don’t have access to the internet. This is a conversation for another day.
For now, let us welcome tomorrow, Good Friday, with hope and peace in our hearts. Tomorrow churches are live-streaming their services. Easter represents renewal, new life, and unconditional love as we come together to celebrate. Let each of us share in the sense of hope this offers for the world.
For those unable to access the internet for live-streaming, I would like to share this encouraging Bible scripture from Peter 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
#LockdownJournal
#COVID19SouthAfrica
#21DayLockdownSA
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