We just celebrated the a feast of the Trinity. Suffice it to say that the Trinity is about interrelatedness in the flowing power of love. COVID 19 should be teaching us that we are interrelated to all human and nonhuman creation. After all, a very deadly virus jumped from bats to humans and then mutated to jump from human to human with very deadly consequences.

In the midst of the plague, cell phone video exposed the ugly virus of systemic racism. Systemic racism is the product of privileged white male supremacy which tries to control all of human and nonhuman creation for the benefit of the white majority.

This country was built on white male privilege. Originally only white male landowners were considered to be full citizens. This nation was built on the slave trade and the “discovery” of new lands to the total detriment of slaves and indigenous peoples.

We live in confusing times. We have a plaque telling us we are all interrelated and systemic racism telling us that white males, and, in some cases white females, are more privileged than blacks, indigenous people and people of color (BIPOC).

Back to our alleged Christian roots which are not always fully Christian. All creatures—human and nonhuman—are created by the same God. In God’s eyes we are all privileged and blessed and graced with divine life; therefore, we are responsible to and for one another.

But some of us are acting otherwise. The deadly plague is with us until we find vaccines to prevent it and new medicines to cure it. In the rush to restart the economy reckless politicians, who proclaim they are pro-life have put economics above human life. The virus is striking back with deadly force. Dramatic increases are occurring in reopened FL, I live in a beautiful Georgia mountain community with  TVA damned lake—Lake Chatuge. Crowds of newly liberated privileged white folks visited for Memorial Day. In two weeks we have seen reported COVID rise from 10 to 30 cases.

We know that the only ways, until we get vaccines, is for people to maintain physical distance and wear masks. Across the nation “Christians” have risen in protest of these safeguards under the guise of religious liberty.

Yesterday my wife and I visited Gibbs Gardens where extensive protective measures were in place. In our travel we saw that many churches have reopened. The worst scenario was a large Catholic Church. Mass was over and clusters of people numbering about 40 were standing in front of the church. Neither the clusters nor the people in them were practicing physical distancing and there were no masks to be seen.

Such behavior is appalling, especially for religious people. We have a moral responsibility to follow distancing and masks safeguards; otherwise, we infect others who infect others. The spread is exponential rather than mathematical. The coronavirus and the protest against systemic racism are challenging us to be our brothers and sisters keepers. Interrelated love looks incarnate—people maintaining physical distance and wearing masks and dismantling systemic racism.We Are our Brothers and Sisters Keepers