Good morning and welcome to Rush.
This is not just a vaccination event.
It is the beginning of
intense community engagement and education.
It also opens the door for U.S. faith and community leaders
to deliver the message to our own communities
as to why vaccines and the vaccination is so important.
Along with your personal experience
in getting the vaccination.
And thank you, holy one, for the wisdom of the scientists,
for the courage of the trial volunteers,
for the strength and compassion
of the health care professionals,
for the patience of delivery workers,
for all who have brought us to this moment.
What I realize is that the messenger matters,
and that's why today's event is so important.
People need to see folks who look like them
rolling up their sleeves, literally,
and joining the fight against this disease.
The vaccination rate
is twice as high in the communities
with the lowest death.
So three times higher in black and brown communities,
but two times higher do not get vaccinated.
That is not a good trend.
Your coming today and getting a vaccine
and sending a message to your community
will translate literally into lives saved.
So we're here today
to replace the suspicion with trust,
to replace fear with hope
and to help improve the health of our entire community.
Remember the vaccine is for everyone
and it is for free.
This vaccine saves lives.
And we believe in
this vaccine
for the hope that it will give to people.
And so I want to say, you know, it's very difficult
for a pastor to have a microphone
we've been preaching the empty pews.
I almost don't want to give it up, hey.
Got a crowd and everything, you know.
But, we are
faith leaders who've been called
to bring hope to people
and today we become faith leaders
who are also hope leaders.
Getting vaccinated is an act of love.
It is a commitment to the common good.
It is to recognize this woven reality
of our shared existence.
This is really a wonderful thing that Rush has done
to bring people from across faiths
and across Chicago together to receive the vaccine
and to receive a chance at continued health.
I got my first shot
and I don't have any adverse reactions at all so far.
I think I'm pretty resilient,
but I think I'm also pretty normal,
so I think that this is just the way it is.
I was originally skeptical,
because in the past vaccines,
you know the amount of time
it took for them to be developed,
but once I really thought about the fact
that we are in a different space in time
with the developments that we've had
you know, scientific, medical,
technologically
that it should not come as a surprise
that it's within our ability to be able to respond
in the fashion that we have today.
Today we add faith with hope,
and I think that combination is going to
make a big difference.
They're not the only communicators,
but they're critical communicators.
I think it's safe to take the vaccine.
I'm also excited to share with my congregation
as well as anyone else that's listening
that you need to build a defense around your immune system.
That is the central message here.
You ready?
Ready. One, two, three.
All done.
That wasn't that bad. No!