Groundhog Day & Swiss Cheese
Beloved-
The other day, I was getting ready to text a friend, “I feel like I’m living in Groundhog Day.” I picked up my phone, and found a new text from that friend describing their energy as “restless, depressed groundhog (a la Groundhog Day).”
Here we are again. Or here we are still.
Depending on how you count them, we are in the fourth or fifth surge of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Hospitals are once-again full to capacity, and people are once-again dying in disturbing numbers. Some of us had just begun to emerge from our holes, blinking into the light, venturing cautiously to church — and now we’ve seen our shadow. Again.
You’ve all heard the news about the Delta variant. In a nutshell: It is much easier to catch than earlier versions of the virus. For those who are unvaccinated, it is just as deadly as earlier versions. Those who are vaccinated remain highly unlikely to be hospitalized as a result of contracting Delta. However, studies seem to suggest vaccinated people can carry and spread the virus even when they have very mild or no symptoms.
Here we are again. Or here we are still.
If you’ve seen the movie Groundhog Day, you may recall that the point of reliving the same day over-and-over-again is for Phil (played by Bill Murray) to learn to be better. The good news for us is that we’ve learned a lot in our year-and-a-half of groundhog days with the novel virus.
A respiratory virus like Delta (one that spreads easily and has a high incidence of hospitalization and death) would be a worst-case scenario if not for the fact that we already have a safe and effective vaccine against it. We don’t need to wait months or years while scientists develop a vaccine. Most of us can simply make an appointment and get one. And, hopefully, we’ll very soon be able to vaccinate our children under twelve. That’s really good news!
We also have many other proven and effective tools we can use to care for our neighbors and keep ourselves safe. We already know how to gather virtually at home — we’ve had months of practice. We have a multitude of studies showing cloth face coverings and social distancing are effective barriers to spreading coronaviruses, and surgical masks and N95 masks are effective in situations of necessary close proximity. We have highly-accurate medical tests as well as fairly accurate at-home tests. We’ve also spent a year-and-a-half learning to talk to each other about risks and responsibilities, wants and needs, desires and consent, trust and vulnerability.
Considering the varied tools each of you have at your disposal, and the various factors affecting each of your communities, I don’t have a one-size-fits-all recommendation. I wish I did. However, I do have a metaphor I’ve been using that seems helpful.
Swiss Cheese
As you consider how to move forward in your community, think about making a sandwich. If you were to make a Swiss Cheese Sandwich, and you didn’t want the mustard on the top to touch the mayo on the bottom, you’d need multiple pieces of cheese, and you’d want to line them up so the holes didn’t match. We can do the same to slow or stop the spread of coronavirus in our community.
If you have a very high rate of vaccination in your church, that’s one piece of cheese. If you are wearing masks, that’s another piece of cheese. If you’re taking temperatures or checking symptoms at the door, that’s another piece of cheese. Social distancing. Meeting outdoors. Limiting group sizes. Not singing. Each of these tools is another barrier to the potential spread of the virus.
As you negotiate what your church needs and what you want, think about using as many different pieces of cheese as possible. If you feel you must meet in-person and inside, then what other tools can you use, such as masks and vaccinations? If the thought of not singing (still one of the most-spreading activities) is too depressing, can you do it outside and social-distanced while wearing masks? The more barriers you have the better you’ll limit the spread.
Here we are again. Or here we are still. But, this time, we’re better prepared.
Thank you for being the Church in this place and for this groundhog day.
Blessings,
Tyler
CORRECTION:
In a previous pastoral letter, I recommended not asking people about their vaccination status. I considered the question too invasive. Since then, many ethicists have weighed in on the topic, and I’ve become convinced I was wrong. I would now say that it’s okay to ask about vaccination status, as long as you’re prepared for three possible responses: “Yes,” “No,” and “I don’t want to tell you.” If someone doesn’t want to tell you, don’t push. Also, unless the person is your close friend or family member, don’t ask why they’re not vaccinated. The reason could involve private medical information they don’t want to tell you.
I’ve found the best way to ask is to reveal my own vaccination status and pause. Often, I don’t even have to ask, because the other person responds to my personal revelation with their own. Also, many of our churches have chosen to perform an anonymous or confidential survey of their members. That’s a great way to get a sense of what other barriers you need to put in place.
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