Sunday, September 27, 2020
This past Friday New Jersey reported 760 new Covid-19 cases, about 250 more than have been reported daily the past several months. The question is why the startling increase. The age breakdown doesn’t really tell the story, although almost a third of the cases are in the 30 to 49 year age group and well over a quarter are in the 50 to 64 year age group, the same percentage of people who are hospitalized.
The shore towns kept lifeguards on after Labor Day hoping to lure visitors, and lure them they did. In spite of some chilly days, many visitors came down from New York. The question is the role of the Jewish New Year in Orthodox communities as was seen in Bensonhurst and other Orthodox communities.
Photos in the Star-Ledger and New York Times of crowds of people without masks should give us all a shudder. The old rules of washing your hands, using sanitizer and face masks should not be put aside. We still face a fall where our care and concern for others as well as ourselves must be paramount.
Prayer for the Day
With the Psalmist we cry, “Do not forsake us, O God, in this hour,”
But as the Psalmist also reminds us, that we must be faithful.
We know that faithfulness means caring for others
But often we are not sure how best to do as you command.
Be with us, O God, as we strive to be witnesses to your call
And always reach out to those in need,
As did the One we follow,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
You will know as much of God and only as much of God, as you are willing to put into practice.
Eric Liddell, Scottish Olympic champion, missionary in China (1902–1945)
One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.
Elisabeth Elliott, Mission work in Ecuador, writer
To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
until God has mercy on us.
Psalm 123: 1–2