ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH, JACKSON, TN - CONTINUED RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS AND COVID-19
MARCH 16, 2020
ST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX CHURCH, JACKSON, TN - CONTINUED RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS AND COVID-19
Dear
brothers and sisters,
Christ
is in our midst!
As
circumstances continue to develop around the coronavirus pandemic, I want to
continue to share information with you about how our church is responding.
First,
here is a link to a statement released by the Patriarchate of
Antioch: https://www.antiochpatriarchate.org/en/page/2367/.
Secondly, I
have set up on our website a dedicated page to our response to the coronavirus.
You may find the above statement, as well as other links, on that page by
locating the tab at the top of our website (www.orthodoxjackson.com). My intention is that you can find
in one place the relevant documents disseminated by our Archdiocese, as well as
reliable medical information for handling the coronavirus. It will not be a
location for spurious information and speculation.
Thirdly,
as of right now, I intend to livestream some services on Facebook.
There is a tab on our website that links to the live feed when it is available.
You will be notified in advance when services will be available. Let me say, I
have never done this before, so you may as well expect some hiccups until I get
it smoothed out. Also, the recommendations regarding social gatherings is
changing quickly. The CDC currently recommends no gatherings of more than ten
(10) people. I am continuing to assess the best course of action regarding
services, as you should see below.
In
the days ahead, I may also record or stream live various teachings
or ministry meetings so that I am still providing you with the
spiritual food you need, since there is currently no Bible Study, Church
School, Catechism, etc.
Finally, I
want to stress very strongly my belief that this pandemic is NOT being
overblown by either the government or the media. The
most common danger we are facing is normalcy bias—the tendency
for people to believe that things will function in the future the way they
normally have functioned in the past and therefore to underestimate both the
likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects. The disaster
is already here.
Even
a cursory study of history will show that nothing is unprecedented. The Church
Herself has encountered many challenges with wisdom and faith. If we think that
the social distancing and closures are overreactions; if we do not accept the
medical science and the history of disease propagation and the ongoing results
of this virus—then we will find ourselves on the wrong side of all this. If we
think that what we see today in the news cycle is today’s reality for the
virus—we are wrong; it is last week’s reality. While social distancing is a
difficult concept for our society, it is an essential part of the response to
any virus. It is an act of compassion toward our neighbor. The best course of
action is for us to assume that we are already contagious. If we are wrong—what
harm will have come of it? If we are correct—we may have saved lives.
Therefore,
while specifics may change as circumstances change, here are the
basic guidelines I expect to use in St. Nicholas Orthodox Christian Church’s
response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:
AS
LONG AS THERE IS NO LOCAL SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN THE JACKSON/MADISON COUNTY
COMMUNITY:
1. I
strongly encourage everyone who is sick to stay home. Without qualification or
exception. If you have ANY illness, stay home.
2. If
you are homebound due to sickness or because you fall in a high-risk
demographic, I will personally do my best, so long as I am able, to provide
supplies to your doorstep to meet your basic needs and to help
prevent the spread of the virus.
3. At
all times I encourage you—all of you—to protect your personal health.
4. If
you are unsure whether you are a high-risk individual, I encourage you to
consult your physician about your personal health risks.
5. I
will continue to review the need to cancel services or provide them in a virtual
format.
6. I
have posted the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in various locations in the
church (they are: fever, cough, shortness of breath).
7. I
will clean church surfaces that are frequently touched (e.g., tables,
countertops, kitchen area, light switches, doorknobs, etc.).
8. I
will stay up-to-date on developments in our community and in our Archdiocese
and provide you with that information in a timely manner.
IN
THE EVENT THERE IS LOCAL SPREAD:
1. I
will cancel in-person services and strive to hold them virtually with a single
chanter.
IF
THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL LOCAL SPREAD:
1. I
will cancel services of any size and strive to offer virtual reader services by
myself.
IF
THERE IS A CASE OF COVID-19 IN OUR PARISH:
1. I
WILL separate anyone on church property who has symptoms from others until they
can go home.
2. I
WILL contact local public health officials.
3. I
WILL communicate with parishioners about possible exposure, first via email
and, if necessary, by phone.
4. I
WILL clean and disinfect the church before anyone is permitted inside after the
incident.
5. I
WILL cancel ALL services for whatever time is advised by local authorities to
ensure no trace of the virus remains in the church.
I
continue to monitor the reliable information that is released in order to make
discerning decisions for the health of our parish.
This
is not our time to ‘shine’ by showing empty courage and adolescent bravado. A
Christian shines through humility and sacrifice of oneself, sacrifice of one’s
‘courageous’ image in the world. We are human beings, made of flesh and bones.
Flesh and bones can become Chalices of God’s presence in the world, but they
can also become ill. As a Christian, my duty is to comfort and to love, to keep
myself and my neighbor from harm.
Be kind to one another. Do not mock as weak those who protect themselves. Do
not pile pressure on the shoulders of those who need compassion and
encouragement. Even if you are not afraid, do not offend your brother. Instead,
encourage and show compassion. That is true humility. Let them share their
fears with you so that they do not have to carry them alone.
Do not pursue a macho Christianity. It is pride and delusion.
Do not judge your neighbor as weaker than yourself. Let us show the world
Christians are not judges of the world. Not here to condemn, but to love. Not
to mock, but to be to our neighbor what they need in order to find hope, peace,
grace. Stand with the weak, stand with the fallen, identify with our brother
even as Christ came and identified with us while we were yet sinners and dying.
Do not seek out any form of ‘martyrdom’ under these circumstances. The Church
condemns such pursuits. Rather, do all you can NOT to get infected and to
infect others. Do what is within your power to do, and leave the rest to God.
Pray for everyone. Live wisely and simply. Do not pursue ‘heroics’. This is our
Lenten fast: to carry each other’s cross and not crucify our neighbor on the
false cross of our own ‘heroics’ or ‘good image’.
May
God bless you and keep you!
Blessings
in Christ,
Fr. Matthew