It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

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The words above open Chapter 1 of Dickens’ 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities. The Rt. Rev. John Tarrant, interim rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, borrowed them to begin his April letter to parishioners, publication of which was delayed several days by Covid-19 chaos. For the whole letter, click HERE or on the quote.

Among other things, Tarrant observes that “[e]ven in the ‘best of times’ there are many experiencing the ‘worst of times.’”

For years before the new coronavirus began to dominate the news and everyone’s lives, a selection of mostly mainstream news and opinion has been available HERE, at the Washington, D.C.-based Justice Integrity Project.