It is April 10 and Good Friday for those who practice Catholicism; Passover for the Jewish people. It is a time of year when many people look forward to religious rituals that mark the end of the cold and darkness of winter and celebrate springtime with longer daylight hours and rebirth of nature. Even as we confront our own collective doubts, fears, and uncertainties, we are reassured that the natural world around us is robustly rebounding from its winter slumber and even thriving with less human intervention.
Fear and Uncertainty are terms that have cloaked most of us living in the post WW II Nuclear Age. We view certain known political enemies as existential threats to our societies and rely on our leaders to defend us and give us a feeling of security. The coronavirus today is a different kind of existential threat with an invisible enemy and few people feel truly assured of safety or defense from its rampant spread until a viable vaccine is developed. As I write this I feel a bit like Samuel Pepys when he noted in his famous journal the shocking Plague which had first struck Amsterdam in October, 1663 and his fear that the killer disease of his time would reach the shores of England. In the United States, it was not until mid-March that our President finally acknowledged a Pandemic when it had reached all continents and about ¼ million were infected worldwide, with over 16,000 in the US. Denial and disbelief still exist in some sectors, but generally the world has now listened and locked down. We are confronting our fears and using all possible methods to maintain connections and community even as we are socially distanced from each other.
Some will take comfort in faith or prayer or meditation during this holy time. Others will look outside at the marvels of the earth and take comfort from its renewal. I offer you the hope which was expressed recently by Queen Elizabeth that we will soon meet again and hope that our Validation community gives you a sense of connectedness during these uncertain times.
