QUARANTINE BLOG # 19

April 18, 2020

Yesterday I promised you the story of the discovery of coffee.  It involves a shepherd and dancing goats.

Legend has it, a goatherd named Kaldi was minding his own business one day when he found his charges getting super-frisky. They were nibbling on reddish-brown berries and leaves of a mysterious plant, and then dancing on their hind legs.

Kaldi decided to take a bite of the berries and experienced a rush of energy. He took the berries to a holy man who tossed them on a fire, where they emitted the heavenly scent of coffee we love today. The imam took the roasted beans from the embers of the fire and used them to brew coffee – strong, hot, and black! He used to keep himself awake during overnight religious ceremonies.

👉 And that reminds me of the story of Eutychus and the danger of falling asleep during religious ceremonies:

“On the first day of the week, when we were assembled for the breaking of bread, Paul, since he intended to leave on the following day, began to speak to them and prolonged his address until almost midnight. There were a great many lamps burning in the upper room where we met, and a young man called Eutychus who was sitting on the window-sill fell asleep as Paul’s address became longer and longer.

“Finally, completely overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up as dead. But Paul went down, bent over him and holding him gently in his arms, said, “Don’t be alarmed; he is still alive.’

“Then he went upstairs again and, when they had broken bread and eaten, continued a long earnest talk with them until daybreak, and so finally departed. As for the boy, they took him home alive, feeling immeasurably relieved” (Acts 20:7-12 – J. B. Phillips).

👉 Another left over from yesterday is the term “up to snuff,” as in where I wrote about “students whose grades are up to snuff.”

The phrase “up to snuff” is first mentioned in the early 19th century in Francis Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Grose was one of the first lexicographers to collect slang words from all corners of society. He records many rude words, such as bum fodder (for toilet paper), or double jugg (for a man’s bottom).

Grose lists it as “up to snuff and a pinch above it.” That “pinch above it” was the powdered tobacco that had become fashionable to inhale in the late 17th century. The phrase derives from the stimulating effect of taking snuff. It also pointed to the high cost of snuff and the elaborate decorative boxes that it was kept in.

A Faberge snuff box featuring a picture of Tsar Nicholas II was expected to reach £600,000 at Christie’s Auction on April 13, 2020. Auction results have not yet been published.

👉 One of our family’s favorite things to in a group text is to call RFST.  That’s Random Family Selfie Time.  Then all five families take a selfie of members present and posing (I know there are some who call it a “groupie,” but they are wrong) and post it.

When we are not doing RFST we will start a survey.  A recent one was, “Is it a pack of paper or a ream of paper?”  The final vote was ream 4 and pack 2.

And later one of the grand kids asked, “What are corn flakes?”  I hope it wasn’t a school assignment because I don’t think our answers were all that helpful.  Flakes of corn.  Flakeage of corn.  Corn that has dandruff.  Gross cereal.  And exfoliate of maze.

And now, it’s RFST

👉 I think everyone reading this blog, at least the folks I’ve included in the morning email (and if you have a friend you think might enjoy it, just send them the link), knows I’m retired.  And I am receiving my monthly retirement checks.  So I don’t have a direct connection with those people whose jobs have been deemed non-essential and are out of work.  I’ve been out of work and I’ve collected unemployment checks, but this time, it’s so different.  More than 22,000,000 Americans have filed for unemployment aid since President Trump declare a national emergency!

It is so strange driving down the busiest highways in our area and seeing empty parking lots because those business are closed.  I can only try to imagine the frustration and pain and anger that many are expressing.  Any sane person understands their desire to be back at work, and can sympathize with the thousands of protesters who taken to the streets across the country to urge governors to reopen businesses and relax strict rules on daily life that health officials have said are necessary to save lives.

And we are not alone.

In Japan, where the epidemic is surging, the government declared a national emergency – but as of this writing, compliance was voluntary.  Britain extended its original lockdown order for three weeks, as conditions there continued to worsen. France stretched its restrictions into May.  Australia, despite having a small and declining number of cases, extended its lockdown for at least four weeks. Russia canceled one of its marquee events, the annual Red Square parade commemorating victory in World War II.

My only comment, my sincere prayer, is that governments who are doing everything they can to ease the financial strain, will listen closely to public health care experts, and please, please, please, do not let down the barriers too early and lose the hope and progress we’ve already attained.

👉 With that I acknowledge that the old cliche is true: it is a jungle out there.  Of course, it’s not a tangle of trees and bushes and wild animals, but it is a living place we do not recognize.  Some are saying the way it used to be will be a long, long time in coming back, if it does come back.  Hope is taking a beating.  Hope needs restoration.  And for that we must look to Someone beyond ourselves.

The Psalmist David, speaking about the Lord his shepherd said, “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3).  A fact we must face – with that restoration we may still be in the jungle.  The unemployment lines may still be there.  The closed and shuttered businesses may still be there.  The restrictions on our live styles may still be there.

But if we trust Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we will be changed.  We will be restored.  Jesus never intended for us to live in the jungle of despair and desperation and hopelessness.  He restores our hope by giving us Himself.  And He has promised, “I’ll be with you day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 The Message).

I can only imagine  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWVaQESDXBE

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