On Tuesday, January 7, 2020, Chinese officials announced that they had identified a new virus. They eventually named it Coronavirus now widely known as the COVID-19. In the U.S.A., schools, universities, malls, sports stadiums, churches, and restaurants have been closed indefinitely to limit the spread of this virus as people practice both social distancing and self isolation in their daily lives. Major conferences, trade shows, world tournaments, and many international flights, have also been canceled.
We all hope that this pandemic will come to an end soon, and that government agencies will reopen our communities to our new normal very soon. People are worried about their health, jobs, family, and the economy. Research suggests that the COVID-19 may get worse before it gets better.
Instead of going through this turbulence with our eyes closed, we can try to see what good we can extract from this difficult situation. The COVID-19 has been clearing off our calendar by canceling plans we would have taken advantage of then. It would help us to learn these three life lessons that have come out of the COVID-19.
Fear can be good-Franklin D. Roosevelt famously exclaimed that
“there is nothing to fear but fear itself,” in his first inauguration speech on
March 4, 1933. Yet dare I ask, is it true that we should not be afraid of fear?
Is fear entirely illegitimate? Don’t get me wrong: fear can be dangerous. It
can paralyze the mind, stifle growth, and lead to habits of destruction. Fear
can also be positive and constructive. Take, for example, the COVID-19.
It
is no secret that it has spread fear among individuals of all backgrounds and
cultures. But the more we fear for what will be in the future, the more we can
also learn to appreciate all that we have, today at this very moment. Turbulent
times like these, teach us that life is so vulnerable, that seeming certainties
are so uncertain, and that material achievements are so fleeting. The fear that
then naturally emerges from these realizations can rattle us profoundly. It
can, and it must also awaken us to a renewed appreciation and commitment to all
that is firm and certain in our lives, such as deepening our relationships with
our spouses, children, and friends, re-dedicating ourselves to living a life of
purpose, and learning to recognize, and be grateful for, the infinite blessings
that God bestows upon us each day.
This
is why the wisest of man, King Solomon taught that, “Happy
the person who is never without fear, but he who hardens his heart will fall
into misfortune.” (Proverbs 28:14, CJB) A little bit of fear is valuable.
For it prevents us from falling into an impasse, and opens our eyes to all the
good treasures that lie within us and in front of us that we may have been too
deadened to notice. When we come together as one, even the most destructive of
diseases become curable, and even the cruelest of challenges are eventually,
surmountable.
The
COVID-19 teaches us all that the health and success of our future rely on one
essential pillar: Respecting each other for who we are: people of all kinds,
who were created in the image of God. We can certainly disagree; but we must
not become disagreeable. We can battle ideas; but we cannot battle people. We
can frame the content of our conversation; but we cannot frame the inherent
dignity of our fellow human beings. And when we join hands together, a path of
redemption is then paved. Like a symphony of instruments, true beauty and
harmony will only emanate from our ability to unite and collaborate together.
We are in this together-No living person has
ever witnessed anything like this. There is no telling what the businesses of
our neighborhood communities will be like when this is all over with. One hopes
that the rates of infections will slow and the death rates will fall, and that
the right steps will be taken to protect the foundations of our economies. No
one knows who will have jobs or enjoy the same quality of life after the crisis
is over.
These facts should sober each one of
us, and remind us of the essentials of life and our common humanity. Our
collective ignorance about how this may end, and what how limited we are in the
face of the big issues that life can throw at us. Each country's success will
depend on how well people can work together guarding self and neighbor. We dare
not lose sight of the things through which we are now passing when these things
have passed. In the words of Psalm 90:12 (ERV): “Teach
us how short our lives are so that we can become wise.”
What matters most-Some people scoff at the saying that “money
doesn’t make you happy”. They are sure it will. In the light of the devastating
deaths due to the COVID-19
we are being reminded that health (not money) is our true wealth and that we’d
give anything for the security of our family and loved ones. As the virus
threatens layoffs and bankruptcies, we may also gain renewed appreciation for
our jobs.
So
practice gratitude for being alive and well enough to read this post. Give
thanks to the people you are lucky enough to still have around you. And
appreciate the little things you may be taking for granted such as travel, food,
and even toilet paper. Now that we understand that money can’t buy happiness. We
must realize that there is another thing it cannot buy us, time. We are all born
with 24 hours in the day available to us—but how many of those hours do you
spend doing what you truly want to? Time is the ultimate luxury, and with the
self-isolation measures in place.
It
is a precious gift that we might all finally be able to enjoy. But how do we
deal with this gift graciously when we are limited by our 8-second attention
spans
(less than a goldfish)? How do we treat our relationships with more free time,
but less ways to interact socially? What will you learn about yourself in the
process? This is the first global experiment of its kind, which will make us
reinvent the way we work, socialize, and spend our free time in this new
standard. So use this once-in-a-life time opportunity for personal growth.
Discover
your interests, priorities, and maybe even your life purpose in the process. Do
the work, and when quarantine measures are lifted you might just emerge into
the real world with a clearer understanding of who you are and where you want
to go. The big lesson from this ongoing crisis is there are some things in life
which are essential and some which are not. In one of the many places where
this lesson is told, Jesus tells the parable of a man whose crops bore abundantly
and who in the face of this abundance was consumed not with how he might be of
help to others, but with how he might store up the produce for his own use.
According to the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21) on the said night of
his self-absorbed consideration of his crops, this man’s soul was required of
him.
At
the level of everyday life, prior to the COVID-19, many of us operated as
though life without the freedom to travel, shop, and go out and have fun was
just not livable. The spread of the COVID-19 has taught us that we were living
a lie. Prior to the virus some of us made work important, and for some going to
the physical place called church was what it meant to truly worship. The COVID-19
scare has taught us that we can well get on with work and worship without being
in the office or the sanctuary. The reality of the COVID-19 is forcing us to
examine life as we know it.
In
simplest terms, I think the two takeaways from the pandemic are: (a) the
opportunity to take a look at ourselves, to re-examine our perspectives on
life, and to ask ourselves what is this, and ultimately to centre our thoughts
and energies on the things of lasting value. (b) The opportunity to remind
ourselves that we are within the scheme of the universe's grand design of
little worth. What is life? Before being a homebody was an order, I look back
at the lunches and coffee meets I skipped and feel guilty.
I
should have used that time to catch up and have adult conversations. It feels
like I am a teenager again that is grounded until further notice. During this
time, I learned to keep the plans I made with whoever it might be. This COVID-19
crisis has brought the caring side out of your family and friends. Since
they're advising us to not pay any relatives a visit, we have one last resort.
Thanks to technology we can touch base with the ones we love and care about. If
you need to talk to someone face to face video chat helps.
“As Covid-19 intensifies around the world, it is clear that if we truly want to deliver health, wellbeing, and dignity for all, girls and women must be front and center in the emergency responses, in social and economic recovery efforts, and in how we strengthen our health systems post pandemic.” (Katjia Iversen)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Essential Life Lessons Coronavirus Can Teach Us” By Sergey Young
·
“6 Life Lessons You’ll Learn in Quarantine
during Covid-19 Crisis” by Veronica
Gonzalez
·
“Exploring some lessons
from COVID-19” by Canute Thompson
·
“Five Lessons from the Coronavirus” by Pinchas Allouche
This post is dedicated
to my friend and blog member, Rachel Wright.
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