What Coronavirus Taught Us about Life
March 23, 2020
The coronavirus disease has literally brought the world to a standstill.
Communities are locked down. Businesses are shuttered. Flights are cancelled. Classes are suspended. Governments are on high alert.
Plans interrupted.
Lives disrupted.
This virus has changed the world in more ways than we can enumerate.
The month of March was supposed to be a busy month for me. I was supposed to facilitate a series of school retreats, speak at several events, and run countless meetings. All these plans were practically wiped from my calendar, along with my plans for a much-needed vacation.
What was supposed to be a whirlwind of activities dissipated into quiet unrest at home—stuck in my room, glued to my mobile screen, and scrambling to find ways to still do my job despite the lockdown.
This afternoon, I had a casual conversation with a friend over the phone, which led me to this realization.
One of the things this virus did for us was take the blinders off our eyes, so that we can see what things are truly essential, and what turn out to be non-essentials.
The expensive shoes you collected with such care now lie useless on the rack.
The signature clothes you bought hang idly in the closet.
The pricey bags and precious jewelry are nothing but piles of trinkets in your room.
In the face of imminent death, the essentials become glaring, like treasures uncovered for the first time.
Suddenly, we see the value and comfort of having a home.
These days, nothing matters more than the lives and safety of our family and loved ones.
All of a sudden, we see the value of relationships and we start fighting for togetherness, albeit virtually.
Social media and technology now serve their true purpose – to connect people.
Ultimately, many people have seen the essence of faith; how powerless we truly are and how dependent we are on God.
People who haven’t been to church for a long time now pay attention to God and attend “church” online.
Sometimes, life’s comforts and privileges can blind us from what truly matters. We chase after temporary things that, over time, depreciate in value. We trade the essentials for the non-essentials—personal ambitions over family, career over relationships, money over God.
Stripped of the non-essentials, we now see that what we truly need in life is this: RELATIONSHIP.
My relationship with my family.
My relationship with life-long friends.
My relationship with God.
Knowing the non-essentials, we can focus on what is truly essential. Let’s make the most of our time by valuing what truly matters. This storm shall soon pass, and we shall experience better days with the people we love.
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