b"PANDEMIC COUNTER-POINT COVID-19 ReflectionsBy Rev. Marjorie B. Lewis, Ph.D. Of one thing I am certain, we do not have all ofreality.Aswell,thedynamicsofIndependentand the answers regarding the purpose. Yet, we believeAssisted living invite the spread of the virus with our there is a purpose behind it. That is the GREAT partlack of health quality offering opportunities for co-Iof trusting God. The outcomes of this pandemic aremorbid impacts of the virus. that contribute to remember when the COVID-10 virus captured our awareness. It was around the end of January mov- just beginning. Some of them include, the govern- 2)There are systemic inequities ing into the beginning of February. I remember mymentresortingtoinvestmentsthedisproportionalvulnerabili-Rotary 31 Club members playfully touching elbow tothatrival,ifnotsurpass,thetiesofAfricanAmericansand/elbow. I also remember some of us forgetting to do iteconomicparadigmsexemplifiedorpeopleofcolor.Oneofmy and not taking it very seriously. We actually laughedthroughthepublicpoliciesofcolleagues,aPoliticalScientist it off. Little did we know how deadly our frolickingFranklin D. Roosevelt, and inter- has been consistently citing sys-could have beenpreted by the economist, Miltontemic inequities suffered by our ThentherewerevagueannouncementsontheFriedman.African American community to news and yet there was nothing we thought to takeWehaveseenourFederalinclude1)ourjustifieddistrust seriously. Surely it would pass. Then, by the middleGovernmentspendmoney,of the health care system based ofMarch,rightintimeforSpringBreak,ithap- incrediblyvastsumsofmoney,on The Tuskegee Experiments, 2) pened. All of a sudden Spring Break was extended.withlightningspeed.Wehaveour justified avoidance of health Then school was closed indefinitely and here we areseen our social way of life turnedcare systems because we simply today with school and so many other entities closedupside down. We have seen ourcannotaffordhealthcare,3) indefinitely.industriesliterallyshutdownuniversaldisparitiesofhealth I remember at my Mental Health Center of Denversovernight.Wehaveseenancareinterventionbasedonthe Boardmeeting,ourPresidentsharingwith ustheintrusion on our family structurefact that we are Black.details of the origin of this virus along with so manysuchthatourseparatenesshasAs an individual who meets all other pandemics. We all, at least, know of a placeemergedintoafoundationforofthecriteriaofthemostvul-called Wuhan, China, which has been identified asourunitinginmostcreativeofnerablerelativetothisdisease, the origin of so many pandemics.ways. Our love for our relatives isMarjorie Lewis I have decided to do something Suddenly SARS, MERS and other diseases becameour motivation to stay away fromabout this situation regardless of relevantinexploringthiscurrentpandemic.Sothem. Our love for one another iswhat the government chooses to manytheoriesregardingthispandemicemerged,motivation to avoid contact. do. I have been heard to say that if we can not trust identifyingitsrelevancefrompolitical,genocidal,Grappling with this series of oxymorons is wherethe hospitals then we should make choices to keep and Biblical perspectives.we find ourselves today. We dont understand whatus out of hospitals. Relative to COVID-19, we need I remember sharing with colleagues, friends, andhas happened and yet we know we must do some- to learn how the disease works behave accordingly. family that I felt like I had been sent to my room bything.We are flailing in the dark and yet we areWhile it is important to concentrate on not contract-Mama to take a time out to reflect of my behavior.making life changing, life threatening decisions. ing the disease, it is equally important to concentrate TheresponsesIreceivedwereamazing,hilariousSocietal inequities as a function of race, class, andon what it takes to minimizer the impact of the dis-and insightful all at the same time. Some sightedage are being revealed yet again. It seems that theease if we do contract it. the Biblical passage Isaiah 26:20 through its end.most vulnerable culture is captured in a demograph- Wemustrefusetobevictims.Wemustbecome Through these passages, I took comfort in the per- ic criterion of being Old, Poor, and Black. This is notresilient relative to this pandemic and so many other spective that we were sent to our rooms for safety,a new phenomenon, nor is it a new predicament. Thefactors. Our capacity to rise as a result of this most reflection,andtransformation.Somesaidohnopublic response is not new either. Just today, I heardheartbreaking experience is to learn what it takes to Mama did not do this. She would never do this. Wethat there are task forces established to study theresist challenges. Our personal choices in thought, must look to other entities, dominant social orders,issue another context framing the age-old issueswordanddeedarekeytoourmovingfrombeing political processes to blame. As a Denver citizen, aof inequityvictims to victors. timely response was Mama did not send us to ourAllthisbeingsaid,thequestionremains,whatThis reality is challenging because it often requires room, the Mayor didand it was a good thing thathave we learned if anything. In closing, probably abehavior modification that we simply do not want to he did. lengthy closing, I will take the liberty of sharing withdo. Yet, there is a reason why we are metaphorically you some insights I have learned. shut down.Sent to our Rooms. Lets reflect on our 1)It is not the age that makes us vulnerable but theresponsibilities regarding ourselves and our families. lifelong choices we have made determining the qual- Letsreflectonthechallengestoourcurrentlife-styles in order to overcome challenges, even the pan-We must refuse to beity of our health. I conclude this because I know ofdemics like COVID-19.Lets move from unrequited two African American males who boast 101 years of victory to victory being a way of life.age, both dwelling in Assisted living homes enjoying victims. Our capacity toGREAT health. Neither has been tested for COVID- You are welcomed to join our presentation sched-19. They are so healthy that they do not meet theuled for May 16, 2020 through the Denver Urban rise as a result of this mostcriteria that qualifies them for testing. I also knowLeague Guild where we will expound on these issues of their lifestyles. They were the ones, who stood outparticularly how we as a community may overcome heartbreaking experienceas killjoys, avoiding most meat, indulging fruits andthe consistent challenges to our existence as a people vegetables,moderatelydrinkingalcohol,ifatall.on this earth particularly this COVID-19 challenge.is to learn what it takes toThey were the ones who would exercise moderatelyWearelookingforwardtoseeingyou(Zoom) and consistently regardless of circumstances.PleaseonMay16,2020.Fordetailsyoumaycontact resist challenges.do not misunderstand, what I am saying. Respectingusviae-mail:Marjorie@MBLewisEnterprises.org, our elders is key. However, quality of health is cor- website: www.MBLewisEnterprises.org or telephone related with choices and there is no escaping that(303) 901-3406.F R E EL O C A LE V E N TC A L E N D A RAs the quarantine comes to an end, stay safe! And don't forget to send us your event listings next month! email information to: info@bocnews.comBODY OF CHRIST NEWS MAY 2020 21"