April 19, 2020
Masking Tape and Rags
What strange times. In a world of high technology, who ever would have thought that rags and masking tape would be the primary tools that helped society return to some semblance of normality.
First, enough words cannot be said for the amazing feats of the medical community. Putting themselves in harm’s way each day, they use their wisdom and tools to save the lives of thousands of people each and every day, COVID-19 and otherwise. Yet these acts of heroism that save individual lives do not stop the virus from spreading. They do not allow businesses to safely invite the public to return to their doors.
For the near term, it’s looking like physical distancing, handwashing, and wider use of non-medical masks by the general population are the tools that have been successfully used by other countries to slow down the spread enough that schools and businesses can resume operations.
Masking Tape
In our area, it is common to see masking tape stripes six feet apart on sidewalks, checkout lines, and other queues. These reminders help people remember to keep further apart than we did a few weeks ago. People are self-regulating. They glance at the tape, take an assessment of their surroundings, and then often adjust. I’ve watched them move further apart, stop touching the merchandise unnecessarily, pull out the hand sanitizer, or take other precautions.
Rags
A few weeks ago I joined the mask makers. I pulled out my forty-year-old sewing machine that hadn’t seen the light of day for fifteen years. After watching a few YouTube videos, I sent my husband on a hunter-gatherer trip to locate sewing machine oil. Then I broke a few needles. Finally, I started making masks. All I had for material was fabric whose next step was the rag bag. An old sheet. Old t-shirts. Donations from a company of unused fabric. Decorative wall hangings that were no longer wanted. An old handkerchief. Scraps from a neighbor that were too small for her to use for her sewing projects.
I made one for my husband as much to help with the pollen as with the virus.
Then I made a couple for myself. Then a friend called and asked for a few for their medically fragile family. I happened to see my next-door neighbor in her yard and found out she had been making them for the local hospital and police department and had more requests than she could fulfill. A few more broken needles later, dozens of masks made their way to a pulmonary department to go over top of N95 masks to help them last longer. Then another friend called asking if I could make enough for her small business. Then my kids asked for a few. And on it goes. At this point, I have made about 100. Considering that the government is now recommending cloth homemade masks for trips in public where physical distancing is challenging, I think my sewing machine will keep busy for a few more weeks.
A couple months ago we minimized the threat because it was far away and our pride leads us to believe we can master anything with our minds, our power, or our wealth. And then microscopic strands of DNA created a worldwide pandemic while leaders and scientists and doctors scramble. Meanwhile, common sense, rags, and masking tape keep the growth rate down.
I keep thinking about I Corinthians 1:18-31. Another enemy, sin, causes more damage than any virus. It kills eternally. God provided a remedy that is simple and accessible to everyone. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31) It doesn’t take a high I.Q. or a seminar degree to solve our sin problem. Jesus took the penalty for our sin, so our role is to simply accept the gift and trust Him.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world…” (I Corinthians 1:26-28 NIV)
God invites us to be the rags and masking tape that can save lives. Our lives, if lived in obedience to God, will remind people that sin exists. Our love for others will help inhibit sin’s influence. In response to our prayers, God provides protection, grace, and mercy to us and those around us. (Hebrews 4:16, Philippians 4:5-7)
Most of us will never become famous or sought after by the general public, but each one of us can play a significant role in the kingdom of God by loving others and living lives that point others to God.
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