Epidemic

(July 30)

There is an epidemic in our land, of massive proportions.  No section of the country has proved to be immune to them. 

· It appears that they break out in clusters.  They are most often seen indoors, and it is quite rare to see only one.  Usually they group together, preferring the areas which humans occupy indoors.

· Upon close examination it will be seen that they appear primarily in geometric shapes.  Rectangles are the most common shape, though squares and even circles are reported.  Some reports also mention a tulip shape—but we must make some allowance for the panic even one of these can cause.

· They are, it appears, migratory.  There is no north/south pattern, but it is usually observed that a flock of them will follow a particular human almost indefinitely. 

· Individually, they are relatively easy to dispose of.  But the most common case seems to be that no matter how many you get rid of, they continue to multiply.

Is this some dread disease?  Some horrible new insect?  Alien invaders from space?

No, they are yellow sticky notes.

It is the nature of human beings to forget.  It is therefore also their nature to write down reminders.  In the oldest of civilizations we find broken bits of pottery called potsherds which were used to write down little notes.  We take a note of what we want to remember.

It is not the only aid to our memories.  For more important things, we have ways which are more serious than notes.

· We create reminders.  Calendars with recurring events on them, for example.  It would not do to forget your wedding anniversary, for example.

· We build memorials—visible reminders to one and all of something which has happened which should not be forgotten.

· We conduct rituals.  We post guards around the tomb of the Unknown Soldiers; we raise the flag over the shattered hulk of the USS Arizona so that our gratitude will not cease—nor our warning.

Communion is like that.  It comes about every week, so that we will not forget.  We see its memorial every time we look at a cross.  We conduct the ritual so long ago adapted from Passover by our Lord.  Our Lord did so much for us, it is well that we have these reminders.  If the church forgets the Lord’s Supper, will she not soon forget her Lord’s sacrifice?