These are very uncertain times indeed. The world pandemic of COVID-19 has put into question all we deem as safe and reliable. We in the United States have taken for granted much of the shelter we have experienced from the issues that face the world. Now we collectively face very scary times.
There are some underlying issues making this pandemic much worse. Let me explain.
Leading up to this, we found ourselves as a very divided nation. News reports spinning other news. People listening to one side and concluding the other side is perpetuating agendas not based on truth or fact. Actions were taken based solely on political agenda instead of the benefit of the people. Such division was becoming normal. So normal that we were becoming numb to it. This political and social climate led to an environment of unpreparedness. Nobody could really put a price on such division that was being created. But now we can…lives.
Not only did this political and social environment cost lives, but will cost more to come. This must be our wake up call.
But this isn’t just it. We were also seeing a greater division between Millennial/Generation-Z and the older generations. The division highlighted not only the changing climate of the world but the understanding of the world to come. Older generations seemed to ignore the change while younger generations become increasing more “me focused.” While we saw some older generation rationalizing it away while younger generations ignore the social distancing, now we must face it together.
If these divisions are not enough, we found ourselves in increasing separation between the wealthy and everyone else. The cost of living was growing drastically faster than the average income in the nation could keep up with. This cost of living increase even led companies to cut back to the essentials. The result was a deficiency exemplified by shortages in necessary medical equipment like masks and ventilators. This economic divide has lead to most of America living paycheck to paycheck. This means that there really is no margin for life altering events. Given the shutdown of businesses, people’s livelihood is at stake.
The pandemic hit a very divided nation.
Now the question is what will be our new normal. We can continue in the same divided path that led us to this point or we can change. The fact is our new normal doesn’t have to be our old normal.
We are actually seeing some of this change. Business executives are intentionally taking pay cuts for the sake of their employees. Businesses are intentionally making medical supplies for the nation. Neighbors are coming together for those in need. John Krasinski has started “Some Good News” from his own home to highlight some of the good stories including the global celebration of our care workers putting their own lives on the line daily.
This new normal will have to be intentional. Instead of sewing into division we must be sewing into us. Isn’t that what loving our neighbor is all about? Can’t this be our new normal?
We can take this time of social distancing to reflect on what matters. A pastor rightly described this time as a national sabbath. But even more than sabbath this time is solitude. In solitude the thoughts, emotions, and inner drives become revealed. What we have used in our life to avoid truly facing the truth is gone. The truth of our souls is now evident. Just as it has revealed the health of our nation, it will reveal the health of our souls. And we face these things together. If we are not used to this, it can be incredibly scary and uncomfortable. We may not want to see the things we have been running from. We might be overwhelmed by the dreams for our lives that are lost or put on hold. We might even be distraught by not seeing a path forward. The national and personal uncertainty will raise the deepest issues to the surface.
In solitude we come to the truth of ourselves. We might not like the uncertainty before us. But in these uncertain times we do have a choice. Our new normal has yet to be defined.
This means there is hope. There is hope not only for personal change but national change. There is hope that in our new normal we can take the perspective of Mr Rogers,
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
We are in this together.