ISOLATION GIVES A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

“THIS too shall pass” is from the speech given by Abraham Lincoln before he was elected as US president.

It originated in the writings of the medieval Persian Sufi poets such as Rumi and reflects on the temporary nature of the human condition. A phrase of hope in testing times.

In the meantime, how do we maintain our health at an optimum level?

Every decision and action (or inaction) by authorities is a potential opportunity to learn about mitigating an infectious disease.

It is also a personal opportunity to learn and reflect on our individual responses to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic overlaps with a time of the year when many religions are preparing for their holy months. So, I decided to dedicate my meditation and reflection to the concepts of illness, disease, health and healing in all the world’s religious writings.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have the opportunity to deeply consider our own implicit biases that may affect our reaction to the virus. Are we paying attention to the directives of health experts in our communities? Are we reaching out to our neighbours who may look different than us? Are we

isolating ourselves because of our fear of the virus or each other? Are we hoarding food and supplies because we think our own lives matter more than others?

As we grapple personally with official orders to wash our hands and practise social distancing, it may be fruitful to consider how our reaction to COVID-19 is a product of our ability (or inability) to see the world as one human family. Importantly, our ability to survive is not based on competition, but on love, unity and altruism.

COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that is rapidly challenging our daily routines, social connections and behaviours. Just as the

virus is extremely contagious in physical bodies, the qualities of our spirit and heart are also “contagious” and have an influence in our world.

The practice of kindness is one of those spiritual contagions that may help cultivate our understanding of the world as one human family. It is not possible for one member of the human family to live in luxury while another is in misery and poverty. The indifference to the extremes of wealth and poverty is due to the lack of economic equality, inequitable laws and lack of kindness and selflessness.

With the rapid unfolding of the pandemic and impact across the globe, it makes me

wonder whether this was all meant to happen so that we reflect on how we live each day, the amount we consume and how we treat and care for each other. Mother Earth has been telling us for some time that we need to protect our planet. This event has halted or reduced every possible form of pollution to reveal a glimpse of how our planet could be a healthier place for all.

The world has been placed on pause, and this is in the interests of the entire wellbeing of humanity and the health of our planet.

And as history has demonstrated, in time this too shall pass and in the process we will become better human beings.