“QUARANTINE FATIGUE” IS not adequate justification for jeopardizing people’s lives. And yet, as we prepared in mid-May to go to press, states were beginning to reopen for business and pleasure—not because the coronavirus pandemic was under control, but for reasons political, economic, and even conspiratorial. While many people are legitimately concerned about getting back to work to make ends meet, others spout inane—and life-threatening—conjecture about “hoaxes,” even as tens of thousands of Americans have succumbed to COVID-19. And even worse, morally, are those—led by the president—who seem cavalier about the very real chance of secondary waves of infections, with consequent sickness and death, in their pursuit of reelection.
Several articles in this issue of Sojourners point to the possibility that we will emerge from our current pandemic-defined realities with a new set of eyes—a deeper understanding of fundamental injustices that often go unnoticed (or are willfully ignored) by dominant culture. But there is no guarantee that this time of forced separation will lead to positive change. As always, progress doesn’t happen by itself, but only by intentional choices, sustained will, and a commitment to action that addresses those underlying fundamentals. Those choices lie at the heart of what it means to live out our Christian journey in a world so much in need of courageous and faithful discipleship.
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