April 13th, 2021: Our Solitudes in Confronting Coronavirus




In 1945, Hugh MacLennan wrote "Two Solitudes". He was addressing the lack of communication (both desire and practice) between English and French Canadians. I have been thinking a lot about divisions we have experienced this past year in the US and Canada as our nations are struggling to deal with Covid-19. There might be some differences. However, we can also see some similarities when it comes to the responses our people have had.

There are many solitudes in confronting this virus. Some might have something to deal with the lack of clear communication from various governments. The absence of transparency from China where we learned about the first few cases. The unclear communication from WHO when it fails to comment on the seriousness of the spread. Our health professionals didn't always send out a consistent message while trying to learn about the virus.

These solitudes have also been formed by the overwhelming amount of information online. Some sources of this information are legit, and some are not. Suddenly it appears that no one seems to have the authority to speak about this virus. People's conversations about it took different directions somehow. The issue of health concerns is no longer the main topic for some people. Political and Economic conspiracies have taken over.

Some of us have taken this virus seriously due to our personal experience. Some of us can accept the imperfection of our medical professionals because they still learn about the virus. Some of us are skeptical all around. Some of us believe that the governments have made a big deal about this virus with the intent to control us, take away our rights, kill small businesses, and create a new world order in the end.

The final casualty that has come about is the corrosion of trust. When trust is absent, communication is meaningless. Our solitudes will get solidified. I live in Alberta, Canada, and where we are today in dealing with Coronavirus is not much better than where we were at this time last year. It is time for us to take prayer seriously as our guidance and discernment. Let us seek God in our understanding and not allow fear anger to guide our paths. Otherwise, our solitudes will continue to widen, and there might not be much good in the end.

Proverbs 15: 2
"The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly."

1 Corinthians 2: 14
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

 

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