100,000!
The US crossed the 100,000 mark—the number of COVID-19-related deaths.
A journalist reminded us of the magnitude of that number:
Imagine if, starting now, we held a moment of silence for every American who has died from COVID-19. We wouldn’t speak for the rest of the day. For the rest of the week. For the rest of the month. If each one of those deaths was honored with the full traditional 60 seconds of silence, this country would stand in hushed, somber, unrelenting
Blessing!
This past Easter, Father Timothy R. Pelc was caught in a quandary. How does one bless the flock when socially distanced? Especially when you want to sprinkle holy water?
One of Pelc’s parishioners, an emergency room physician, discussed possible safe options for the blessing of Easter baskets and attendees at the Detroit-area church—St. Ambrose Parish in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.
That’s when the good reverend had a smart idea.
Squirt gun.
Said Pelc:
We figured sterile
Screens!
What with COVID-19 and all that, you might be thinking you spend a lot of time staring at a screen—on your phone, your computer, or your TV. Well, you would be right in such thinking.
The average adult, the findings of a recent survey indicate, will spend not months, not years, but decades staring at their devices.
This was the result of a poll of 2,000 adults in the UK. Thirty-four staggering years (yes, 34!) were spent looking at phones, computers, and TVs. In brief,
Delivery!
With COVID-19, many Americans were caught unawares as they were traveling abroad. They were stuck, as most flights were canceled.
Among these was a friend of mine, a missionary in India. I’ll let her tell the story ….
“My plans for staying in India were disrupted by the coronavirus. I was given a choice by the US government to return home on a flight that would be chartered out of Chennai. After seeking advice from my friends and family I let the US embassy know that
Genesis 48:1–50:26
Agents of divine blessing remember the blessings of the past, pass on the blessings in the present, and expect the consummation of blessings in the future.
This pericope concludes the Joseph Story and the book of Genesis.
The first section, Gen 48:1–49:27 describes Jacob’s blessings upon his sons and grandchildren.(Though their lives may have overlapped, none of the other patriarchs before Jacob are shown to have any interaction with their grandchildren.) And, three
Mobility?
Last month Apple released a “Mobility Data Trends Tool.”
The company is utilizing data coming from its iPhones, more precisely from its Maps app. The information is generated by analyzing requests for directions made by you and me and millions of others to Apple Maps. Data sets, current and historical, are compared to show changes in the volume of people driving, walking, or taking public transportation.
Apple’s assurance:
Privacy is one of our core values, so Maps
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.