Daily Excerpt: The Pandemic and Hope (Ortman) - A Critical Opportunity
Excerpt from The Pandemic and Hope (Ortman) -
A CRITICAL
OPPORTUNITY
The word “crisis” implies both danger and opportunity. The
anxious mind sees only danger, what can go wrong. The wise mind glimpses
opportunity and joins the battle with compassion and wisdom. We hear countless
stories of people coming forth, risking their lives, to help others. So many
people are responding to this tragedy with bravery, generosity, and compassion.
There is a dawning awareness of our connectedness. But how far does it reach in
our minds: to our community, our nation, the entire world? Will we hang on to a
tribal view or open to a global consciousness? Our planet is a mere speck in
the boundless, expanding universe. It is so fragile and cries out for care. It
appears the epidemic will soon engulf the whole world. As our flu season ends,
the time of disease will likely take hold in the southern hemisphere. We have
an opportunity to extend our compassion to our southern neighbors, sharing our
knowledge, resources, and personnel. We will also share the wisdom gained
through our travails.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the spokesperson for the CDC, is the
voice of scientific reason. He says, “The virus will let us know.” We listen
and then respond from our knowledge base. However, there is a deeper wisdom
gained by entering the desert of emptiness during the stay-at-home order. All
the founders of the great religions chose to go to the desert to prepare for
their missions: Moses, Jesus, Mohammed (Buddha went to the forest). There they
spent time alone in silence and faced their demons. They drew strength and
clarified who they were and what was demanded of them. In our quarantines, our
individual desert experiences, we encounter our demons, wrestle with our fears,
and confront our virulent thinking. What will we learn about our attachments to
health, possessions, power, status, relationships, to what is important, but
does not last? What lasts for us and is worth the dedication of our lives? What
is our ultimate concern? We know that this illness will pass, will have its
season. Facing the temptation of despair with a wise mind, we may learn, as
Julian of Norwich proclaimed, “All will be well, and every kind of thing will
be well.”
May the compassion and wisdom born of this battle spread
like around the world.
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