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.

For more posts by and about Dennis and his books, click HERE.

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