I drove downtown this week to spend time with Meadville Lombard seminarians during their ingathering week. I exited Lake Shore Drive, following my GPS directions but I missed the off ramp from Lower Wacker Drive to get to Michigan Ave where I needed to be. I was stuck in the underworld of Lower Wacker, the street below the street, my GPS unable to detect that I was in the wrong place because from the satellite view above me, I was in the right place. I couldn’t figure out how to get out, back to the street directly above me where my destination was.

Where is the off ramp?! I whined to myself, until I figured out I could turn left and then left again to emerge into the daylight.

I’ve been holding this question, “Where is the off ramp?,” raised in a very different context, for the last 10 days. The Covid Task Force met for the first time since last spring. In May, we decided to continue the mask requirement for larger indoor gatherings including Sunday mornings. Given the large number of cases, we thought it better to hold steady with the extra precaution. When we met last Wednesday, lowering the mask requirement was the main focus of discussion. The question was raised, “Where is the off ramp?” meaning, what are the circumstances in which it would make sense to move from a requirement to a recommendation? If The CDC, Illinois Department of Public Health and the Evanston Health Department have all removed the mask mandate and public spaces all around us are without this requirement, does it make sense for us to keep this requirement in place?

Throughout the pandemic, we have been more cautious than the health agencies we have been turning to for guidance, and there is still strong evidence that masks effectively lessen the risks of catching Covid. However, given that nearly every place in our public lives – schools, stores, airplanes, buses, trains, and entertainment venues – have made masks optional, and given the fact that there are readily available vaccines, boosters (and soon, even better boosters), tests, and effective treatments, and given that a very large majority have already gotten Covid and recovered, it feel as though this might be the time to make mask wearing up to the individual.

As a Task Force, we are also considering the social, emotional, and spiritual well-being of people of all ages as well as accessibility for those who have trouble hearing. We recognize that this may feel like a big shift for some members. We are not suggesting that this means Covid is over and we no longer need to consider mitigations. We still expect all of us to abide by our covenant of care for one another. If you are ill or may have been exposed to someone with Covid, please don’t come to church. Test yourself and see your doctor. Follow the CDC’s isolation guidelines. If you feel uncomfortable being around large groups without a mask, please know that you are encouraged to wear a mask as long as you need to and as long as feels right to you.

We acknowledge that not everyone is in the same place with this. Please know that you are invited to share your questions or concerns with the ministers. You can reach out to me directly via email to share your thoughts. You can also take this quick poll to let the Covid Task Force know how you feel about this shift. Here are the new building use guidelines that will soon be posted to our website.

Absent a compelling reason to continue the requirement, we plan to move from masks required to masks encouraged on Sunday mornings beginning October 2nd. We continue to hold one another in care and love as we navigate the complexities of building Beloved Community.

Yours in faith,

Eileen