The world today is joined in a common human experience where vulnerability and mortality have become more apparent, and women and men are hiding from the pestilence called Covid-19. It doesn’t matter what you believe, if you believe or if you believe in God at all, your life is shaken by coronavirus.
The high, the middle and the low in all societies are under a lockdown of fear and apprehension, but also of hope. Rules of social distancing are applicable to all humans, such that even presidents of nations distance from their close associates. No man born of a woman, from the world’s richest to kings, princes and princesses, prime ministers and the commonest of the common, is immune from the impact of Covid-19.
Nothing in this generation has equalized man as the coronavirus. It does not care who anybody is – it engages without discrimination like an equal opportunity employer.
It has restricted everyone’s movement and put airplanes of the rich in their hangars. The things we thought were necessities are revealing themselves as mere luxuries. Air travel, theater, eating out and vacations have given way to family life, food and personal hygiene.
We are praying more than ever before for ourselves and our loved ones, as we plead not to be affected nor infected. We all want to survive this. We want to live beyond the 2020 pandemic. There are stories we want to be able to tell when it is all over. Our generation will be changed forever.
Some say we may never shake hands again. Others say face masks and working from home are here for good and that robots will do more of our work. It is even possible that exclusively online churches may develop.
Although no one knows what the post-Covid-19 world will exactly look like, of one thing we are certain – massive disruptions. Changes are certain. But what changes do you and I really need to make this world a better place? What is more critical?
One has to be touched by stories around the world of medical professionals and first responders sacrificing their lives to make others live, NGOs, faith-based groups and restaurants serving food to the poor and of neighbors helping neighbors. It has been a touching outcome of the Covid-19 life. These stories serve as examples of our real purpose on earth.
The latent message of the pandemic is the need for each one of us to review ourselves and improve on how we treat each other, recognizing that we have so little time in this world and an eternity afterwards.
The time is right for introspection and reflection. What have I done to touch another man’s life positively? Who have I helped since the pandemic started? Who have I been concerned about outside my immediate family? Have I prayed for my neighbors, the US, Italy, Iran, Spain and other parts of the world that are suffering? Have I reached out to touch somebody else? Is life all about my own happiness?
While He was here on earth, Jesus Christ gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37), which is a perfect illustration of what our lives should be about. In the parable, a victim of armed robbery was left to die by the world, even by a priest and a Levite who passed by without lifting a finger. But the Samaritan was moved by compassion. Jesus called the Samaritan the good neighbor, the better human, and commanded: “Go and do likewise.”
There is a portion of our lives that God wants us to reserve to help people we don’t know. There is power in dropping something for anyone. That is the reason God gave an instruction to the Israelites in Leviticus 23:22, “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.”
Do you leave something behind for others? Do you go out of your way to help others? Do you have people who can lean on you? Do you keep a light by your window? Can others stand by you?
Jesus did all of that and more, when he died this weekend 2,020 years ago.
Let’s the coronavirus lockdown experience ignite the fire of compassion everywhere. Let’s allow ourselves to be infected by the milk of human kindness.
Be safe. Happy Easter.