PPE
Personal Protective Equipment.
Only a week ago, PPE was a new acronym to my ears. Now it is part of our conversational vocabulary—a standard expression in the language of Covid. We can tick off the components: gowns, face shields, gloves, and masks. We know these items are crucial to the safety of patients and treatment-givers both. And we know that they are in short supply.
But, sequestered in their own houses, whole battalions of crafters have taken up their sewing machines and stitched together masks to rival anything you might see coming from designer fashion houses: masks of denim; masks of flannel; masks of canvas; masks of calico quilting scraps; masks trimmed in elastic for ease; masks trimmed in ribbon once the elastic has all been used up.
Masks of love.
What a beautiful effort, this drive to drape our community caregivers in colorful, protective layers of fabric—grown-up, wearable, wrap-around security blankets.
People like Marie Keim (whose sewing project is pictured above), Diana Worley, and no doubt many other members and friends of our congregation have been participating as sewists in this campaign. They want to do something meaningful to counter this macabre pandemic. In their goodness, their inclination is to protect and shield the vulnerable.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
Psalm 5: 11-12
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.
With The Virus nearby, it may not be long before we begin to be effected by its invasion. People we know and love may get sick. Death might touch our hearts. Grief may sweep in on the heels of The Virus. Hardship may be ahead. These are difficult things to think about, and yet, these things are beginning to cross our minds. Maybe part of the reason sewing masks is such a popular activity is that it allows for concentrating on something positive while pushing fear off into the closet where the ironing board is stored.
Not everyone is handy with a needle and thread, but everyone can pray that God would protect and shield the vulnerable. At this point, we are ALL vulnerable, so let us pray for one another. Let us pray that God cover us like PPE, warding off physical danger the way a hazmat suit does. And let us pray, too, that God would guard us from emotional and spiritual peril, hugging us close like so many pieces of handstitched PPE.
Fierce and gentle are the protections God brings. We hope to find ourselves shielded by both kinds.
Faithfully,
Pastor Chris
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