Random thoughts on masks and Covid

 I officiated a funeral this week of a cousin of my wife.  He died of Covid at 66. Interestingly, almost no one wore a mask. I knew people would not wear them, even to psychologically support his mother who has carefully worn a mask in public.

People can tell me masks do not work and one is a fool to wear them. However, I, having worked in the environmental business most of my life where protection from dangerous gasses was paramount, have a pretty good idea of what a cloth mask is capable of providing. 

Interestingly to me is that we have understood that these masks don't protect the wearer of the mask so much as they protect those around us. A mask can help reduce exposure, but if the air is filled with Covid and you are in that atmosphere for any length of time, you are going to get a big exposure.

However, a mask will cut down how much Covid an infected person will spew into the air. That is why doctors wear masks in surgery. They aren't trying to prevent catching the heart attack of the patient they are working on. They are trying to not infect the patient with some disease.

I think about why God seems to judge us so harshly for "small" sins.  He says He judges even our thoughts.  It seems to me that this cousin who died of covid, died not because of any big conspiracy, but because of a multitude of "small" sins.

I remember when watching the Lord of the Rings and finding myself cringing at every little failure of character of the "good" guys. You could sense that small failings had big consequences. I think that what was portrayed in fiction is really how the world operates. God, who can see all, "cringes" at even our "small" sins.