In it together

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”

                                                               John Donne

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Whenever there is chaos

Whenever there is crisis

We learn something about ourselves

Right now the Covid-19 is our great teacher

First it was “not a problem”

Then it was “their problem’

And now it is “our problem”

And so as the stock market crashes

As trips we dreamed of

And events we treasured

Are cancelled or postponed

As governments announce bans

And implement responses

However ineffective

We are challenged not only

by a virus

but by our own nature

there is not doubt about it

this pandemic

for that is what it is

has (and will) caused a lot of grief

It has caused disappointment too

and anger

it has brought out the best in us

and it has brought out the worst

we are seeing it all

from people hording toilet paper

to people railing because a music concert has been cancelled

to people quietly doing what is right

some people are responding with fear and resentment

and some are responding with grace, and compassion

and what can only be called community ethics

let us make no mistake about this

this crisis

while personal

is not merely personal

it is not “all about me”

yes, I had to cancel a trip to visit cherished

but vulnerable cousins

Yes, a meeting I was looking forward to

is not happening

Yes, I may end up cancelling

(at some level)

Lent

But beyond my personal frustration and pain

There is a greater pain

The pain of people without insurance

The pain of people who will no longer have a job

The pain of people who, living pay check to pay check won’t have a pay check

The pain of older people

Forced to “socially distance”

All of this is about

The community that is my church

The community that is my small rural county

The community that is my friends and neighbors

The community that is my nation

The community that is the world

Can I feel the pain of my community

And

Can I set aside my individual wants and needs

For the sake of my community?

Can I mourn the loss of March Madness

And Spring Training

And my visits

And the value of my 401Ks

And possibly the loss of a traditional lent and Easter

But feel a deeper pain for the loss of livelihood

suffered by the minimum wage works on the edges

of pro sports

and the hospitality industry

and the entertainment and travel industry

Can I think of those older people

Who may not get that cherished visit from their family

Or pastor?

And can I embrace the small things I can do

To keep my family safe

My church members safe

My friends safe

My community

If not safe

A little safer?

Remembering

This is not “all about me”

Or my investments

It is about people

Vulnerable

Valuable

Loved

people