ICU nurse Ciana Boardman, 24, (center) wishes more young people would do all they could to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here, she and her fellow nurses gear up in “bunny suits” to treat patients with COVID-19. (COURTESY OF TIMOTHY CROCKER)
During this week’s Zoom worship service of my church, New Community Church in Washington, DC, one of our members shared that her sister is an ICU nurse treating COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. For most of us who live in East Coast metropolitan areas, rural Nebraska is unfamiliar territory to say the least. It is easy to think of this part of our nation as “fly over country” that has little in common with either the East or West Coasts. Especially during these very politically polarized times, it is tempting to dismiss sections of the country as “red” or “blue” without focusing on the humanity of people in every region. Fortunately our church member thought to connect her sister with another member our church who is a journalist for US News and World Report. The result was an article published in the July 2 edition that you can read by clicking here. There were a couple aspects of the article that especially caught my attention.
The first is that the area served by the hospital has a rate of COVID cases 15 times higher than the state average and 5 times higher than the national average mainly because of outbreaks among workers in meat packing plants. Because many Latinx people are employed in these plants, they account for 60% of the state’s COVID cases while only being 11% of the population. This is yet another example of the pre-existing racial disparities in healthcare revealed by this pandemic.
The second aspect of the article is the self-sacrifice of hospital workers who put their lives on the line to care for their patients. We cannot take this for granted as cases continue to rise throughout the country. Just this weekend, Florida set an all time record for new cases in a state with a single day total of over 15,000. Many of these cases result from people becoming careless in their desire to return to “normal” rather than considering how their actions impact not only themselves but others they could potentially infect.
The article concludes with the thoughtful words of this 24 year old ICU nurse in Nebraska who is mature beyond her years:
“We feel invincible because we’re young, we’re healthy and we don’t have diseases,” she says. “I wish young people would take it more seriously. I think if people my age saw what we see, we wouldn’t see as much selfish behavior. Although it may not affect you, it may affect a family member or someone else who’s vulnerable….”Think of others, think of your older family members. While you may have your night of fun, you may contract the virus and potentially end someone’s life by spreading this terrible disease.”
Her words remind me of a Biblical passage from Romans 12: 9-12
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.
As we continue to journey through this pandemic, I am grateful for the Christ-like service of people around the country and the world who recognize and honor the image of God in every person. I am especially grateful this week for the example of Christ’s presence in the heartland embodied in ICU nurses in Nebraska.