We’ve been taught by spiritual masters of all ages to love and take care of each other. Jesus even told us to, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That, for humanity, has certainly proven to be easier said than done. Instead, we have become selfish, greedy and fearful of each other. In the 21st century we still fight with each other over ethnic and religious differences, make laws and build walls to separate us, and spend trillions of dollars on military systems to protect us from the “others”. These shortsighted, irresponsible, and childish behaviors are sure signs of a primitive species, but I take heart in the belief that sustainability is an essential character of all life. At some point someone or something intervenes to get us back on track. Like Marianne Williamson says, “A certain amount of desperation is usually necessary before we’re ready for God.” We call on him to make things rosy, but sometimes that means inviting difficult things into our lives that cause us to grow - like a medical emergency.
As a young boy I thought an invasion of aliens from another planet would be necessary for the people on earth to come together. In 2020 it only took a virus – a bug 200 times tinier than a human hair – to unite us in an attempt to defeat a microscopic germ that threatened to kill us all regardless of nationality, sex, age, skin color, or religion. Thankfully the operative word was “united”. It wasn’t aliens from another planet, but we were united against a common enemy.
Someone said we are all passengers on cruise ship Earth and there’s nowhere anyone can disembark. Everyone, those in first class and those in steerage, is in the same boat. The Corona virus was a most unexpected equalizer. As long as it lasted and as difficult as it was, humanity learned a wonderfully important lesson.
Even as we socially distanced ourselves, we witnessed a growing sense of humanity's interconnected nature and the dignity and divinity of all people. We saw God in the massive humanitarian effort that unfolded all across the world - medical professionals flocking to the front lines to tend to a growing number of infected people, families monitoring blood drives and collecting food donations, businesses opening their parking lots for drive-through testing locations.
Humanity learned an important lesson and the Covid virus was the most unexpected teacher. God was here and we were all together. The truth is, He has been with us all along becausewe are all one. The road to acceptance of that truth may be long and difficult, but there are signs that a brighter future for humanity lies just ahead.
