I look forward to the time we can meet again face to face. That time will certainly come. The question is when? I just read an interesting post by a biologist and infectious disease expert, Dr. Erin Bromage. It’s long and detailed but the summary is pasted below. Here is the full post: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

The reason to highlight these different outbreaks is to show you the commonality of outbreaks of COVID-19. All these infection events were indoors, with people closely-spaced, with lots of talking, singing, or yelling. The main sources for infection are home, workplace, public transport, social gatherings, and restaurants. This accounts for 90% of all transmission events. In contrast, outbreaks spread from shopping appear to be responsible for a small percentage of traced infections. (Ref)

Importantly, of the countries performing contact tracing properly, only a single outbreak has been reported from an outdoor environment (less than 0.3% of traced infections). (ref)

While experts are not certain how COVID-19 is transmitted, this post seems to represent well what we do know so far. So, I suggest that when local churches decide to take steps toward face-to-face meetings, we do it in phases. The first phase could be a once-a-month in-person meeting in a park (outdoors) while continuing weekly online meetings. Then step that up to where we can eventually get back indoors, praying, singing, hugging and eating. Just not too fast. We have shown that we can continue our mission even when face-to-face meetings are restricted.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:11-13