Category: Sickness and Health

Alabama, change, Citizenship, Culture, Disease, Ethics, Healthcare, Institutions, Leadership, Poverty, Sickness and Health, Story, Theology and Life1 Comment

Taking Care of Our Own

Gary Furr

A friend mentioned to me recently that an out of state visitor saw our Alabama state motto, WE DARE TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS on a sign and asked if it had been put there as a prank. No, he was told, that is really our motto. If you have lived here for a long time, you understand that we resist when others challenge us, no matter how well intentioned. Determination can help us in life, but it can work against you as life changes. I’d like to add another one: WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. Two friends and I … Continue reading Taking Care of Our Own

Bible, Covid-19, Evangelicalism, Faith, fear, God, Jesus, pandemic, Sickness and Health, Theology, Theology and Life, Vaccines3 Comments

Faith and Vaccines

Gary Furr

This week I remembered a conversation I had with a woman many years ago. I had gone to teach a series on the family at a friend’s church in another state. She came up to me after the presentation and asked to talk with me. Of course, I said. “What’s on your mind?” I asked. “Well, I feel like such a failure in my faith. I suffer from depression. It was affecting my marriage, my children, and most of all, my faith in God.” “Why did you feel it made you a failure?” I inquired. “I’ve tried everything. I prayed … Continue reading Faith and Vaccines

Covid-19, Ethics, fear, pandemic, Politics, Sickness and Health4 Comments

When You Aren’t Sure

Gary Furr

I got the Phizer vaccine. Both shots. Felt a little bad half of one day after the second shot and since then–nada. Truth is, the shingles shot walloped me a lot harder. But then shingles aren’t so great. I have talked to a lot of people who are unsettled about getting the shot in Alabama. They had a lot of different reasons. So I decided to write down a list. If I were worried or had questions about getting the vaccine, here is where I would go to settle my mind. Your doctor. Or a nurse or other health professionals … Continue reading When You Aren’t Sure

America, Americana, apocalyptic, Bob Dylan, Covid-19, Folk, folk music, Hope, humanity, pandemic, Sickness and Health, Spirituality, Suffering, Theology and Life

Living Through Exile

Gary Furr

I wrote this to our church back at the beginning of April. I hoped, like all of us, that we’d be “back to normal” by now. But we aren’t. So in looking back at this, it’s more relevant than I thought. We’re in it for a while. Hold on. The exile in ancient Israel was a traumatic disruption.  The city of Jerusalem and all the towns of any size were sacked and burned, people scattered and all the Judaeans with any talent, leadership or education were marched across the desert to Babylon Iraq where they lived in an ethnic ghetto, … Continue reading Living Through Exile

apocalyptic, Bible, Christianity, Covid-19, creation, Faith, fear, Fundamentalism, Hope, pandemic, Revelation, Book of, Sickness and Health, Suffering, Uncategorized

Diligence not Goosebumps

Gary Furr

There is plenty of good work to do—beyond the ministries of the church itself, we have a world of opportunity.  Children and schools are important to all of us. Hungry children need food. Frightened children need reassurance, even if it’s not certain out there. Lonely children need connection. The technology that was supposed to make life easy now is only our connection to get things done.  Everything is a lot harder. Here’s the problem now: the pandemic is going to stretch well into next year, from everything I can read. No vaccine is coming next week. I can see businesses … Continue reading Diligence not Goosebumps