Moving Forward (Anthony Meyers)
The day I learned things would change forever, I was looking at the cover of USA Today. The front page highlighted the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who had been killed with nine others in a horrific helicopter accident the day before. That was the big story. To the side of that article was a much smaller column about the rush was to develop a vaccine for coronavirus.
As I read both articles, one depressed me and the other created more questions than answers. And maybe not like you think. The Kobe Bryant death created an array of questions, but the other made me sad. I thought it was the story of another vicious disease that would ravish some very poor people in some third-world country. There would be death and sad scenes, with good-hearted people saying that we all should do something. It would be on the news for a few days, and then drift back to its place behind politics and sports.
Oh, how wrong, arrogant, and naïve I was.
Now we all know this news story wasn’t about someone else. It is about each of us. We have a new vocabulary: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Social-Distancing, Shelter-in-Place and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). We have “breaking news” every moment of every day. And what is up with the toilet paper? Each day comes a new announcement and a “new normal.”
This is one of those times that tragedy has struck without someone specific to blame. We have anger and frustration but this villain, this enemy, is a virus. The virus hits everyone irrespective of cultural or economic status. We know now, sadly, that some populations (especially minorities) are suffering worse. But all are affected. It is not just the economic and professional interruptions, but the limiting of access to anything like a previously “normal” life. Home-schooling, running business from the couch, and Zoom meetings are now an everyday way of life.
Meanwhile, the infection rate and number of deaths that are plastered over every news and social outlet seem to portray a grim view of the future. As the days have gone by, the virus has grown increasingly personal. If we don’t already, it seems we will all soon know someone infected.
Over the past few weeks I have experienced several emotions, but none out of control nor debilitating. I have to play the long game at this and be always hopeful and forward thinking. Because through all of this, something new has also emerged. Not just sickness and sadness, but also a spirit of endurance and adaptation. We have learned how to work from home; businesses have learned how to cater to a new audience in very difficult spaces; parents have become their children’s primary, daily, teacher. I have also seen whole families taking walks around neighborhoods, kids learning how to play without social media and electronic devices, husband and wives learning how to talk, disagree, make up, and live in close spaces like never before. Dinner time really means something now when everyone is there for the meal.
So, what do we say of these times? My wife says that somehow God is giving us a “do over.” Such a view does not ignore all the unemployment numbers or the scores of individuals that have succumbed to this virus. The tragic effects of this virus are real, and will not be fully realized for years to come. But I do think that we have an opportunity in many ways to begin again. Although social distancing has given us space to breathe, it has also offered a better way to communicate and have more significant conversations. It has forced us to be more creative and innovative toward the way we work. And a new hero has emerged. Our health care doctors, nurses, everyday hospital workers, and employees in the space of any hospital unit are the heroes of this generation. Each and every day they put their lives on the line to save others. They are true servants, and now all can see it.
What I see when I look out at this crisis is that faith can overcome fear, and confidence can overcome confusion. I see whole communities becoming better informed and more willing to help others. Hopefully, with God’s blessing, we can learn from these deeds, these moments, these places of growth, and become better human beings.
So here are three things to think about as we move forward from Easter:
First, think about moving forward, not going back. As life begins to reengage, be determined not to lose the little things – how you learned to be patient, understanding, and adaptive. That’s what this time can help teach us. These are the tools for how we will run our businesses, our homes, and our everyday lives.
Second, in the days that are given us, cherish every minute. Take the time for face-to-face conversations, even if they happen through screens. Listen well and engage with love.
And finally, remember that this crisis is about all of us. Before this happened, a “them and us” mentality covered everything. This life-changing event has affected the collective WE: our home, our community, our country, our world. We should always be concerned about what happens across the world. We are connected, we are in this together, and together WE all will endure, overcome, and thrive.
Anthony Meyers was a founding board member of The Carver Project and is Pastor for Community Development at The Crossing Church in Chesterfield, Missouri.
Further Reading
Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman, Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership (Mission Day, 2018)
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