Faith & Religion

What is the opposite of vaccine-hesitant? Vaccine-delighted? Vaccine-obsessed? Whatever we call it, that was me in mid-December, when the rollout began. As a front-line medical worker in New York City, I had been working in labor and delivery, in a high-risk inpatient unit, and in prenatal clinics for eight pandemic months that seemed like forever. When I was given a vaccine appointment, one of the first available in our hospital — I moved child care and work obligations and mountains to get to it, without question.

Back in the day when I was in junior high, my parents took our family to the Grand Canyon for the mule ride to the bottom. Both my sister and I were used to horseback riding, so, of course, we thought the entire trip was just dandy. My parents on the other hand, had a more challenging time with the whole experience! We spent the night at the bottom and then saddled up the next morning for the ride out. My poor dad, unbeknownst to the rest of us, had snuck a towel into his pants for the ride out of the canyon. Once back at the rim and off his mule, my father, patting his sore bottom, stoically made this resolute declaration: “I will never, ever again ride a mule and from now on we are hiking this canyon!” Which, by the way, we did four times! Whether we rea

It’s been one year since Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide adjusted their hallmark methods of sharing comfort and hope from the scriptures due to the pandemic.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan recounted the incredible story of a monk by the name of Tememachus, who lived around 400 AD. The monk followed a crowd into the Colosseum; he saw the gladiators come forth, stand before the Emperor, and say, ‘We who are about to die salute you.’ He quickly realized they were going to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowds. He cried out, ‘In the Name of Christ, stop!’ But the voice was lost in the tumult there in the great Colosseum.

There’s an old story about four women who found themselves on the third floor of a burning building. Of course, they were practically paralyzed with fear, but afraid of being trapped in the elevator, they ran to the stairs and began their descent to safety. The stairwell was dark and filling quickly with smoke. It was truly terrifying for them but the women hung together as they descended. Suddenly, not quite halfway down, one of the women panicked and wouldn’t move another step. “I’m too afraid!” she declared. To which the leader in front firmly replied, “Then just do it afraid!”