There was the - does not allow U.S. citizens in (for such things as tourism).
Then the - does not permit non-essential travel in between countries.
Also the - have to take a negative co-vid test coming back into the U.S. as well.
2 summers ago, my family hopped on a plane, touched down in Iceland for a few days, came to England, visited Scotland, and came back healthy and happy.
Today, that would be impossible.
But we are in a time where walls are around us and we can still find ways to breathe, defying the impossible by doing the impossible.
Galatians 5: 22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
There is no law. Against such things as joy. But are these rules today depriving us of joy? Sucking joy out of the life of traveling and meeting new people, seeing new places.
What about peace? Some people believe we are trying to make peace by making regulations that require us to attend faithfully to certain things: the putting on of the mask, the stay safe protocol, the washing of hands. Sounds kinda like rituals from the Bible....but - where do these practices stem from? I believe they stem from fear. Fear against the disease, the people around you calling you out, the economic turmoil. These rules then are against peace. Have you ever been in a store and seen someone without a mask? Your heart immediately jumps with fear for yourself or for others or for them. But what if you're the contender? All you see is judgement around you. Yes you are breaking the rules but you are standing up for true peace at the same time. A peace that is rooted in Jesus and has found freedom. Families are broken up from this, suicide rates and depression have skyrocketed. Yes there is a disease that is deadly and rampant more than others. But what we should really be watching out for is the disease of sin which thrives in times like these. Division. Strife. Anger. War of our minds. And we call for peace. A true peace is to look to Jesus for our rock to stand on in this crisis. He knows our time and when we shall go. Think of the missionaries such as Paul Brand who served lepers. Leprosy back in those days was a contagious disease you could never rid yourself from. Aren't we all missionaries where God has placed us? How can we virtually do that effectively? I believe God made me to be in the world but not of it. In the world, serving him. Right now, in most places, it requires a mask. Am I promoting peace by wearing one like everyone else? No, I am promoting a false sense of security, a fake peace that does not pass understanding.
Here are some Lord of the Rings quotes which I thought fit admirably with these times:
Book 1 LTR - "Indeed in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown than in the estrangement that divides all those who still oppose him....our hands are more often upon the bowstring than upon the harp."
Book 2 LTR - Theoden, "But now my heart is doubtful. The world changes, and all that once was strong now proves unsure." - Helms Deep
After Pippin handles the Orthanc Stone - "I wish I had known all this before," said Pippin, "I had no notion of what I was doing."
"Oh yes you had," said Gandalf. "You knew you were behaving wrongly and foolishly; and you told yourself so though you did not listen. I did not tell you all this before, because it is only by musing on all that has happened that I have at last understood...but if I had spoken sooner, it would not have lessened your desire, or made it easier to resist. On the contrary! No the burned hand teaches best. After that advice about fire goes to the heart."
Sam - "Why to think of it, we're in the same tale still! It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?"
"No, they never end as tales," said Frodo. "But the people in them come, and go when their part's ended. Our part will end later - or sooner."
How will your part end?
P.S. If you got this far, then you read my 45 minute long crafted paragraph on peace in these issues. I don't rant or spew out words for those to lash back at. I merely sat down and these thoughts came to mind. I know a lot will not agree with some, most, or all of what I wrote. If you know me, I extremely dislike conflict. But as I've had to get used to it over this last year, I've realized how important it is to talk out and about it instead of hiding it away like a secret. I am not ashamed of the power of Christ. Or....what God can do through the well worded wisdom of J.R.R.Tolkien.
