We are now almost 4 years plus into pandemic life throughout the world. And yes, we have been and still are frustrated about the fact that we can’t go about life the way we used to before this virus happened. We want it to finally be over. We want it to go away. We want our lives back. We don’t want to live in anxiety and fear anymore. We are sick and tired of all of it. We shouldn’t have to live this way. We should be able to go where we want, when we want, and how we want to get there. We shouldn’t have to socially distance ourselves and have our temperatures taken. We should be able to hug each other, sit together, and we shouldn’t have to be tested for this stupid disease ever again. It’s not fair and we are not just frustrated, we are angry about all of it.
Why are we angry? What is the anger and hostility really all about? If we are honest with ourselves, the frustration and anger are actually about living with the reality that this virus has taken away our independence and our personal freedom and we want those things back. But, the truth is that we never really had a lot of independence and personal freedom to begin with. We have all been at the beck and call of our jobs, our schedules, our commitments, our obligations, and all of the other things in our lives that order and organize what we could and could not do. But we lived with the façade that we were in control and we made the decisions about where, when, and how our lives were going to function.
Then COVID-19 came and the façade was shattered. We were faced with the reality of just how venerable and out of control we really are. And, how maddening it really is to realize how this microscopic bit of matter with no intelligence, no malevolent intent, and no sense of purpose took control of our entire planet and, to a great extent, continues to exert significant influence over all of us. How frightening is it to realize that with all of human knowledge, creativity, innovation, and skill, we are still at the mercy of this virus?
So, what do we do? We face reality and truth. We give up the façade that we are in control of our lives. Whether it comes to COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, or whatever other event leaves us feeling out of control and helpless, we just live with the frustration and the fear and the anger and we thank God that we are able be supportive of each other. We let go of our self-centeredness and we look for ways to reach out to people who are suffering and in need. Imagine, if you dare, a world in which everyone focused on what they could each do to help someone else instead of what they were afraid they each might lose. That might be the end of the world as we know it. But it might also be the beginning of the world that could be.