Waiting for the Messiah

In the Christian liturgical calendar this time of year the standard lessons celebrate both the ending of things (the “final days”) and anticipates the beginning of things (“new beginnings”). It’s an annual cycle primarily attuned to the seasonal progression of the our earth’s relationship to the sun. And whether it’s infinitely large or infinitely small, for good or ill, it’s ours.

And in our own national four-year cycle of chief presidential office-holding, it comes around, perhaps more nuanced this time, to a contest between the democratic ideal of the will of the people, and a monolithic grandiosity that can ‘trump’ anything in its way.

At the time of this writing, we are just a few days from Election Day 2020. More than usual is the apparent number of those who want to vote. And more than usual are those who want to diminish access to voting. Time seems to be of the essence - the sooner the safer. As if time can co-opt chaos.

And the dragon that emerged from the bowels of the earth, and now hovering over every horizon is the COVID. This particular emergent beast has a new trick. (Remember folks, it’s “Trick or Treat” time in this corner of the world.)