Once upon a time, long ago, I went to church. My family went to church every week without fail and I liked church as a young child. I felt safe and close to holiness, even if I didn’t recognize that this is what I felt.

On March 12, 2020, the provincial government announced its first case of COVID-19. Reactions in Manitoba were similar to reactions around the world; we saw stores packed with panicked shoppers, fear on social media, and a perplexing shortage of toilet paper.

Many people are afraid of flying. And really, why shouldn’t they be? Climbing into a pressurized metal tube that soars thousands of meters into the air at hundreds of kilometres per hour powered by explosive fuel sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I’m inspired by the students in my Grade Seven class who log in to their Google classroom and throw themselves at the work assigned to them by the eighth teacher they’ve had in this very strange year.

As I grow older, I realize more and more how much I rely on experts. Over the course of my life, I have, like we all do, gathered a team of required people in my life. From a doctor to an accountant to a mechanic, I have people to go to when I have shortfalls in my own knowledge.

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. After more than a year since the first case hit Canada, it seems like a significant understatement to say that everyone is ready for a return to normal. Movies, malls, restaurants, and of course family and faith gatherings are all going to be back on the menu very soon.