Homeless: The Chained Baby

Today is the 12th of March 2024. 

Today, at 12 am, 2020, 4 years ago, the world officially went on to face a pandemic, of proportions unknown by these three generations which are present here today. The pandemic called Covid. 

Worse than the Spanish flu, it went on to claim 7,004,732 lives as of March 2024. That is more than 7 Million! 

To give you an idea of the depth of the tragedy, on November 5, 2020, Neapolitans woke up to discover a provocative white marble sculpture placed at the center of their most important square, Piazza del Plebiscito (Plebiscite Square): a chained baby lying down in a fetal position. Naked, with closed eyes and looking tired, the baby’s name is Homeless. Appropriate for this time of COVID lockdowns, the sculpture is called “Look Down” and invites each passerby to stop and look down at the human condition, chained by the health emergency and by the economic crisis heightened and exasperated by the ongoing pandemic. (Sage Journals)

And yet, here we are. Survivors. It changed the way we lived, isolated, masked, sanitized. It also changed the way we died. 

During this time, we tried all sorts of things to survive, facing shortages of food & supplies, were locked into our rooms / homes, were always masked and always FEARFUL. 

And every day, we gave thanks. And praise. Today, I would like to suggest we pray for those we have lost, and praise and thank God for those we still have.

As the world went into complete lockdown, God, gave us all the grace and strength and faith as promised. And though we lost loved ones or good friends and neighbors; though we lost our businesses or jobs and livelihoods, everyone, everywhere did gain someone: Jesus. 

A survivor family who got caught in lockdowns in foreign lands for all those years says this: 

"We have learnt two things: First, Christ Lives! and second, all resources we are blessed with are meant to be shared". 

Today, once again, after 3 years we are sharing with you this song, which was recorded during Covid lockdowns, across 2 continents of India and Australia, and 5 states and multiple cities, by these young people, bringing a message and assurance of hope and calling on His promise to save and protect.  As we hear this song, can we say simply say - Thank You Jesus. 

                           

(The credit for organizing this amazing rendition goes to Mr. Peter Baker from Bethel Methodist Church (BMC) in a city called NOIDA in India, and all these singers are the youth who at one time were part of the Praise and Worship Group of this church, led by Mr. Baker. Their names are given at the end of the video).