“Wash your fingers, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.” (James 4:8)
I discover it a bit odd that simply three brief months in the past the world realized that hand washing might be the only most vital factor to do with a view to restrict our publicity to not simply COVID-19, however to all kinds of infectious brokers we encounter every single day.
Darn! If we had been only a bit extra versed in Holy Scripture we would have headed this virus off earlier!
All through scripture from, Exodus to Revelation, there are shut to 1 hundred references to washing. Some are simply sensible good hygiene suggestions whereas others are ritual cleaning and purification earlier than worship or prayer. Backside line is easy – scripture tells us that washing is an efficient factor to do.
I don’t bear in mind the place I heard or noticed this line, nevertheless it woke me up like my morning alarm clock – “Wash your fingers and say your prayers as a result of Jesus and germs are all over the place!”
That line stimulated me to put in writing this column to supply the chance to maximise your hand washing method and enhance your spirituality.
Infectious illness analysis tells us one fact – on the finish of the day it’s our fingers which can be the connecting piece. Our fingers contact a whole bunch of surfaces every single day all the best way from our faces to potatoes within the grocery retailer. We actually can’t management what we contact and clearly can’t management who else touched it, however we will management to a major diploma our personal fingers.
As restrictions are relaxed, I see many gatherings the place social distancing and masks aren’t being employed. It appears that evidently the Golden Rule can be being relaxed. Our private hand washing shouldn’t be relaxed.
Hand washing with operating water and many lather is a robust weapon towards this virus. The coronavirus is within a fatty envelope. Cleaning soap breaks aside that fatty envelope and destroys the virus.
Simply as there’s a appropriate means for the surgical group to wash earlier than an operation, there’s a appropriate approach to wash our fingers. Right here I provide an accurate approach to wash and on the identical time pray for others and your self:
As you wash every finger say the “5 Finger Prayer.”
Your thumb is nearest to you, so start by praying for these closest to you.
Subsequent is your index finger – the finger that we use to level. Pray for many who have pointed you in the precise route, significantly lecturers.
Subsequent is your tallest finger. Pray for our leaders.
Our ring finger is our weakest finger – pray for many who are weak, in bother or in ache.
Our fifth finger is the smallest of all – our little finger reminds us to wish for ourselves.
Washing utilizing this prayer takes a while – it’s time nicely spent!
For the time being, cleaning soap and prayer are about the one weapons we’ve towards this virus, so scrub away – pray away – and be secure!
The Rev. Joe Bowden is the aiding priest at Church of the Good Shepherd. He might be reached at putterdog60@hotmail.com.
