I look around the spaces I work, live, and worship in and I see so many people I love. I believe everyone is my neighbor, but I’m specifically talking about the people I know…the smiling clerk I always choose to check out my groceries, the guy who waves at me every morning when I drive into the garage, my family, the people who share my mission of healing children.

Only ~50% of the country is vaccinated and in some areas it’s only about ~30%. I know this means that some, maybe many, of the people I know and love aren’t vaccinated and, to be honest, it’s breaking my heart.

Because here’s the deal…

The Delta variant is dangerous. Every person who is infected with the Delta variant will infect 6-8 people on average (which is more infectious than Ebola or chicken pox)… Unless you are in a group of people like a break room, a church, a gym…. In which case the number will be much higher because of the closed space. Being vaccinated makes it MUCH less likely, but not impossible to infect people around you other because of “breakthrough infections.” These infections after vaccination are rare but expected – it doesn’t mean that the vaccine “didn’t work”.

Masks protect you (some) and everyone around you (a lot) which is why they are so important now – whether or not you are vaccinated.

But back to my friends and neighbors who aren’t vaccinated. The Delta variant is so infectious and spreading so fast that if you aren’t vaccinated, it’s not about IF you get infected, it’s about WHEN.

That’s why when I think about my beloved friends and neighbors I grieve because…

You will almost surely be infected with the Delta variant if you aren’t vaccinated.

You will go on to infect others around you, including people you love.

You will be sick (and probably really sick)… hopefully at home, but maybe not.

You may end up on a ventilator.

You may die.

And if you don’t die, you may be debilitated.

And it breaks my heart. Because these deaths are preventable.  And even one of you dying or being debilitated is one too many.

I beg you…Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. #LoveYourNeighbor

(p.s. We are all neighbors)