There have been a lot of sad stories over the last few weeks.  Some have lost loved ones, others are ill and suffering, many have lost jobs, and others have lost businesses.  All of us have faced the challenges of sheltering-in-place, many are struggling with homeschooling, and unfortunately, some relationships have broken.  However, there is another side to the pandemic – the wonderful actions of many people.

Many celebrities have made sizable donations.  There are NBA players who are paying wages of arena workers who are now without jobs, and SNL comedian Michael Che is paying the rents for all the tenants in a large NYC public housing project.  The largest is without a doubt the $300 million given by the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation for research into developing a vaccine.  Every community has had acts of generosity with some of the most touching being those of children.  In England 100-year-old Tom Moore asked for pledges for each lap he made around his garden; he raised over $25 million.

We have had many heroes, who in the face of personal risk have continued to perform essential services.  The first to come to mind are health care workers, but first responders, grocery store workers, utility personnel, and truck drivers have also been courageous.  The selfless nurses who volunteered in NYC can only be admired.  We are indebted.

It has been heart-warming to see the many expressions of gratitude.  People have placed signs in front of medical facilities saying, “Heroes work here.” Pictures of all the buildings around the world that were lit up blue were very stirring.  Restaurants have been feeding medical volunteers and first responders. Delicious!  The English Army commissioned Tom Moore as a colonel, and for his 100^th birthday over 140,000 cards arrived; their display on a gym floor almost floored me.

A lot of ingenuity was displayed in making personal contact.  The drive-by birthday parties and neighborhood socials (each family in their own yard) were good to see.   In Italy there were balcony sing-alongs.  There have been many pictures of grandchildren visiting their grandparents through glass storm doors; one even showed them playing tic-tac-toe on the glass.  There have been through the window visits at nursing homes where the longing to hug is clear.  One person even rented a cherry picker to reach a second story window.  Nationwide, professional photographers are taking free front porch family porch-traits; the images are great and will give the families good memories of bad times.

Sheltering-in-place has been challenging, and I’ve been told that divorce lawyers are happy about the future.  But there have also been many positives.  Many parents, fathers especially, have talked about how great it has been spending time with their kids.  A father said, “Love spending time with my wife and kids.  I was built for this isolation thing.”  Some couples have grown closer.  One man said, “My wife has been my best friend since our first date.  This isolation with her reminds me how much I love her.”  Another said, “These unusual times have validated that my wife is amazing!  What a blessing in our retirement years.”  In my case being with my beautiful bride of fifty-two years has been a gift.

The Bible says that we have been made in the image of God.  If you want to see what God looks like, look at the faces and hearts of people like those described above.  You can’t help but see how God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim