There is a whole lot going on right now much larger than anyone’s theory on whether or not our reactions to this pandemic are an overreaction or even an under-reaction. We have entered a crucible, and the outcome won’t have anything to do with politics or religion.
Most of us have probably experienced on some level the impact hard times, or even desperate times have on the people around you. Whether at work, home, or church the character of people is revealed to us when fear or unprecedented challenges take place. I’ve seen people change into someone I never thought possible in situations like that.
I don’t know how this will end, but I do know we will all be changed forever. Unfortunately, one of those irreversible changes will come from what is revealed by our behavior in a situation like this. I will be the first to admit I am utterly sick of this entire thing. I’m an extrovert and this is killing me. I hate having to wear a mask and I hate being so separated from all my friends, and I really miss going to my favorite pub!
But here’s the thing. As hard as it is for me to admit, this isn’t just about me. Doing the right thing right now isn’t even about whether or not I think this is all some concocted plot by some dark illuminati working to overthrow our system. Doing the right thing right now means considering the wellbeing of those around me. It means understanding what it means to be an integral part of the whole.
I sing in a choir. One thing you learn when singing in a choir is how to listen to everyone around you and how to blend. If every member of a choir treated it as if they were a soloist there would be a cacophony of noise, and no matter how beautiful any single member’s voice is on its own the choir itself would sound like a disaster. Society, whether you like it or not, works this way.
I wear a mask out in public places, not because I’m afraid I will catch the virus. I wear it because it is one of the primary things I can do to be a part of the solution, regardless of my, or your opinion on whether or not it is necessary. It means I would rather err towards safety than impose through my own arrogance that I somehow know what is right. None of us can pretend we have all the answers right now, so I would rather be thought of as a fool for wearing my mask than to take even the most remote risk that I could endanger a loved one, or even a stranger.
I really don’t care if when this is all over we find out masks did us no good at all. What I do care about are the people who care enough to use compassion as their guide. When this is over we will know the difference between those who only think of themselves and those who care for those around them. Those humble enough to be inconvenienced for the greater good.
In the end it won’t matter who the President of the United States is, and it won’t matter whether Brexit was a success or not, but we will know a lot about the character of those around us. We have entered a crucible, and we will all be transformed. Who will you be on the other side?
Letters From Nod 