It’s Time to Get Your Flu Shot

If I was into conspiracy theories, I would balk at the idea of having a needle put into my arm to ward off the possibility of getting sick. I have had the flu and it was awful. It was NOT that stomach bug that lasts 24 hours that grandma called the flu, but the kind that sidelines you on the couch, develops complications and really wrecks things for two weeks. Apparently, I fall into several high-risk groups for flu. I have small children who go to public school. I have a very public job where I shake hands a lot AND it involves residential college students (a high-risk population). I also spend a longer than average amount of time in the Emergency Room. So I get the flu shot every year.

We all know that there are some folks that blame vaccines for other health problems. Some people shouldn’t get the shot because it puts them at risk, usually because they are the most vulnerable or because they have an allergy. The flu shot is significantly about personal sacrifice for the common good. It is as much about protecting others and those who are vulnerable as it is about you not getting sick. So, if you are expecting a baby in the house or going to see a new grandchild, you should get a shot. If you have a friend with a compromised immune system, you should get the shot. If you work in healthcare, you get the shot (and it is often required).

What if we applied small personal sacrifice for the common good to more things in our lives? I suppose it is a bit socialist of me, but I am a person of faith, so I do try to think about others in addition to myself and my family. I try to think about impact on the planet, impact on creation, and impact on the poor. I try to think about my own privilege and ways that I can make small changes. I could do better in so many areas.

Last winter the CDC put the flu season at epidemic levels. In February, there was a wave of news stories around a pastor that suggested that getting the flu shot was equivalent to showing doubt in God. She added that one should simply pray away the flu and that Jesus saves us from diseases. The controversy was too partisan to get into here in the Chaplain’s Corner, but it calls attention to the polarization of faithful people who are so focused on their own insular surroundings that the larger context of corporate responsibility to our neighbor is weakened. I am firmly in the take-action and pray camp. An Arab proverb reminds us, “Trust in God, but tie your camels.” I will also be clear that prayer is always appropriate, and in my own experience, life-giving. We are back to that faith and works juxtaposition of the Reformation.

Fall Break is here! I think we all need it. It’s a time to catch up, rest up, and play a bit. I encourage you over Fall Break to take care of yourself. Please also think about finding time to do something for another person, maybe just out of the blue. Reflect on your connections to those throughout all creation and try to make a contribution to the larger common good. See you next week.

Blessings Stephanie