Listening humbly to unexpected changes
It’s April and we are still bottled up at home. We are a blink away from summer — but what will our lives look like then?
Cases of the virus continue to spike and more lives are being lost. How is it possible that we have not come to the realization that it’s going to take more than just a few weeks of quarantine to beat this virus. The whole country needs to be in sync if we want this situation to change.
This could have been prevented; it didn’t have to get this far. But, we ignored the warnings and looked past the precautions. Did we think that it would just go away on its own? And are we really being compliant with this so-called “quarantine”?
Although most of our daily lives have been placed on hold, there are many that continue to live as if nothing were going on. Until recently, the beach was flooded with people even when we were advised to stay away.
It’s hard to understand something we can’t see — I get that. We only see the effects of this reality through the news and media. But, just because it does not directly affect our inner circle does not mean that it isn’t happening. Not acknowledging the two million lives that have been affected is ignorant.
Understanding the magnitude of this situation is crucial. More importantly, we must understand that this virus hasn’t just affected us, but the whole world. There was a huge gap in the time between where we realized this virus was a serious crisis and when we finally decided to take action. This gap gave the virus the strength to persevere.
Each person has the power to make this better or worse. How we choose to live during this time dictates what the future will hold. We need to start thinking about everyone and not only ourselves. This global pandemic calls for human solidarity.
We have all been connected by the virus. Though “connected” seems odd to say in the midst of social distancing, it has impacted us all regardless of where we are in the world. It will take a huge act of solidarity from all of us in order to endure what lies ahead. Once we begin to act for the common good, we will start to see the change we all want.
Solidarity means accepting this new reality and plans that have changed. Solidarity means that we are willing to tolerate our new circumstances for as long as we need to if it means it will help others. Solidarity will lead to unity. But, this unity will only happen if we choose to listen humbly and act unquestionably.