Finding evidence of God, even during darkest of times
Sometime the best you can say about a difficult experience is that you learn from it. One of the lessons we have learned from the current pandemic is about the serious inequities in our country.
These are issues that need to be addressed, but I won’t attempt to address them here. Rather, I would like to share some simple words of wisdom that can stand us in good stead when times are troubled.
1. A good neighbor is a welcome blessing
We’ve all been told that “we’re all in this together.” But it was hard for me to feel that way watching television in my living room. Then the weather warmed and neighbors came out, and suddenly everything felt different.
We saw neighbors we hadn’t seen all winter bicycling or walking with their kids or dogs. When neighbors asked each other, “How are you doing?” we knew it was more than a social nicety. And when neighbors told us to let them know if we needed anything, I knew we were not alone.
2. There are many ways to worship
In the beginning, I was skeptical about church online. I like getting dressed up to go to a service and sit with my fellow churchgoers. But I soon found that sitting in pajamas with a dog on your lap could be a very pleasant way of worshiping, too.
3. Normal is a relative term
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we talk about longing to return to normal. But normal is just the name we give for what we are accustomed to.
Almost every generation suffers catastrophes, and in the aftermath life usually changes. In most recent years, it was 9/11 that changed the way we live and the experience of flying will never be the same. From the words of the writer Goethe, “To live is to adapt.”
4. We can learn from other cultures
Speaking of adaptation, maybe it’s time to give up the American handshake. I understand the healing power of touch, but the Japanese bow or the Indian namaste, for example, are much
more sanitary.
5. Patience is a virtue
As a culture, we’re not big on patience. We pride ourselves on being busy and tend to forget that sometimes being still is what is needed. In the course of the pandemic, we learned we could best help our community by staying put and being patient.
6. Less is more
FaceTime and Zoom gatherings keep family and friends close when meeting in person is not possible.
A Zoom get-together with a few friends can be a satisfying way to keep in touch.
But it’s been my experience that when the crowd gets too big, things can tend to get awkward. 7. Animals make us more human
There’s something about seeing someone at home with their pet that makes them more relatable. When PBS Newshour’s William Brangham began reporting from his living room, I found myself happily distracted by the black cat on his white couch.
8. Necessity is the mother of invention
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that we should all wear face masks and supplies were scarce, I found myself fashioning one from a dish towel. When we are faced with a need, most of us find ways to be creative.
I know friends and family who have learned to cut their hair by watching a video on YouTube. Others have pulled out cookbooks and made restaurantworthy meals.
Birthday parties have become driveby events and graduations are held on Zoom. Maybe what we have isn’t what we’re used to, but we’ve learned how to make the best of it.
9. The hero has a thousand faces
When I was a child, a hero was the president or Superman. Nowadays our heroes are everyday people who take the risk of doing their jobs so the rest of us can keep living.
Heroes come in a thousand forms such as grocery store clerks and sanitation workers. They aren’t wearing capes or giving grand speeches but we know how much we depend on them.
10. ‘Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity’
I came across these words from the New Testament book of Corinthians at the very height of the pandemic. To me, it explained the countless acts of sacrifice that take place in the midst of desolation.
There are the doctors and nurses who work inhuman hours and live separately from their families while trying to save lives.
There are the women who pull out their sewing machines and spend hours making masks for workers in the hospital. There are those who donated food, and others who donated blood and provided countless acts of generosity.
No one can explain why deadly viruses exist or account for the suffering they cause.
In the darkest of times, we seek evidence of God. And in acts of compassion, we find it.
Lynn Shelly lives in South Whitehall Township.