TRAVELING AMIDST MASSES OF MASKS
Dear Tomorrow’s World Reader,
I began composing the article below in February while sitting in an airport in Thailand during a long-planned trip around the world to visit our churches and ministry—a trip taken at a time when COVID-19 was gradually spreading out from the Chinese town of Wuhan and when the impact and magnitude of the crisis was not yet understood. Even then, an eerie atmosphere prevailed, and in the large crowds of people massed closely together in airports, many wore protective masks. Looking back at what I wrote just a few months ago, I marvel at how much has changed in our world—and how quickly. While some of the comments below may seem dated, given how fresh the situation was at the time I wrote them down, I still want to share these firsthand observations with you, along with the meditations they inspired. An update follows at the end of the article.
M
By Gerald E. Weston
y trip was planned months ago, and little did I know then that I would be sitting in the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, as I am right now, writing about this subject. I came here to spend a few days meeting with Tomorrow’s World associates from eight Asian countries and to see firsthand the work of our foundation here. The first stop of my itinerary was a visit to our office in Canada for the better part of a week to record four Tomorrow’s World telecasts for our Canadian audience, then traveling to Manila in the Philippines to give a Tomorrow’s World presentation and meet with associates there.
I never imagined while the trip was being planned that I would be surrounded by throngs of concerned travelers who clearly have one thing on their minds: an invisible threat spreading around the world from Wuhan, China. Virtually all airport workers around me— custodians, ticket agents, restaurant staff—are wearing masks of all sorts. Manufacturers have capitalized on the crisis by offering a variety of masks such as most of us have never seen before. And, frankly, I donned one myself, along with many other Westerners, while standing in crowded airport lines—if for no other reason than to satisfy my wife waiting for me back home and all the others concerned about my health. Handwashing, alcohol wipes, and other forms of disinfectant are everywhere—but how can you
May-June 2020 | Tomorrow’s World 5
