20 Takeaways from this Pandemic

I get it. People are tired. We’re tired of being home, wearing masks, all the extra sanitizing, and not being able to go out like we normally do. And so we’re starting to complain. Just glance at FaceBook and you’ll see what I’m talking about: complaining about the rules, conspiracy theories about the government, and yelling about my rights being taken away. We want to get back to “normal.” (And, of course, none of this is taking into consideration the many lives that have been affected by the virus itself.) I’m wondering if we can do better than this. I’m hoping we can do better than this. I’m hoping I can do better. Digging a little deeper, I see others calling this shutdown the “Great Pause.” They are the ones looking for the positive in the changes we’ve had to make. They are asking the questions. Can our new “normal” be better than the old? Can something good come out of this? Can this be a time of learning and experimenting with better ways of doing things as a world, as a country, as individuals? This is where I want to be. So, here are my thoughts on 20 things I could learn from this pandemic. These are not new thoughts, but ones that are being reinforced to me by the circumstances of today. And hopefully these thoughts will lead me to actions.

Relationships are life’s priority. I want to appreciate my friendships. I want to learn to know my neighbors and those immediately around me better, stopping and saying hi instead of ignoring them as I pass by. I want to prioritize time with my spouse and my children. I want to learn with my daughter, and listen to my husband’s heart, and enjoy normal life activities together. I want to eat at least one family meal together every day, taking time for conversation. I want to play a game with my grandchild, or write a letter to my mom, or speak on the phone with my son-in-law, or Zoom with my sister. I want to reach out to someone who is isolated. My introverted self would much rather stay inside and read, but I want to make relationships my priority. I want my life to keep making time for people.
We are connected to each other, all of us, in some way. I am connected to every other person on this earth. What I do affects other people. I need to take this seriously. I need to be more deliberate about my daily actions and think about how they impact the world. Shop fair trade. Buy local. Wear a mask if it might protect someone else. Don’t use terms that are offensive to some. Be careful with the resources I consume so that others can have more. This might be the most important thing this pandemic has emphasized to me: we are connected!
God’s Church is people. Church is not the building. Church is not the institution. It’s not a worship service or a pastor or a budget or a sermon. The Church is having others to relate to and share with and encourage and challenge. I don’t need to lean on a leader for my relationship with God. I don’t need to go to a building. I don’t need a weekly or biweekly meeting. God is in the everyday, in the ordinary, in every encounter with another person, in every encounter with nature. God is here and everywhere. My relationship with God grows when I disconnect from the church as an institution and reconnect with God as incarnate in my world. Church takes place as I open myself to God’s voice in the ordinary and in the people I meet each day. If I want to meet with a group of others for praise and prayer, that’s all well and good. But it’s not taking away my right of religious freedom nor affecting my relationship with God if I can’t.
Online resources and social media can be used for good. In our modern world, this is the way to stay connected. This is the way to speak and let your voice be heard. There is so much good we can do if we learn to use these platforms well. Share gratitude lists, highlight acts of kindness, and speak thought-provoking words with kindness. Steer clear of half-truths, wild accusations, name-calling, and popularity contests. I’ve seen people take on the challenge of posting scenery, or flowers, or pictures showing that “life is good.” I’ve seen others sharing their convictions and sharing challenges in meaningful ways. This is exemplary. Spread kindness. Spread goodness. Spread awareness.
Cleanliness is important. Take sanitation seriously. I want to keep my home neat and clean, livable and comfortable. I don’t think cleanliness is next to godliness, as the old saying goes, but it may save us from diseases and viruses. Keep disinfecting surfaces that are touched often. Keep washing my hands. Keep up good hygiene practices.
Our environment needs to be cleaned up. It really does, and we don’t take this seriously enough. I am so encouraged by the stories I’m hearing about air and waterways being so much cleaner because of this shutdown. Can we keep it up? I can learn to walk more and bike more. More of us can work from home (who knew it was possible?). I can support companies that are working on greener practices. Our world can be cleaner and safer to enjoy. Appreciate the fresh air. Open the windows. Breathe it in.
I am not just connected to people globally (see #2), but I am connected to nature as well. We are a part of the natural world. What I do affects the trees and the mountains and the wildlife and the ozone. I can love God by loving God’s world. I can empty myself of some of my wants and conveniences so that I am working in tangent with others for a better world. Cut down on water usage. Take my own bags to the grocery store. Plant a tree.
Using so much fuel is unnecessary. I can pare my traveling down so that my fuel consumption is lower. Make deliberate trips to town only when needed. Why do I need to make trips to the grocery store daily? Go once a week instead. Learn to work from home when I can, and advocate so that others can as well, when possible. Take a few deliberate vacations, but also vacation at home. Cut back on car and air travel. Walk. It’s good for my body and the environment.
Simplify my possessions. I don’t need so many things, so much “stuff.” Use my home space to live, not for storing clutter. Clean out those closets. Clean out those drawers. Give it away. Throw it away. And don’t buy more. Less stuff means less money needed and less time keeping up with it all. It means more time for friendships and experiences. Take one room at a time, and clean it out. My kids will thank me later!
Doing without can be freeing. I don’t need everything I want right now. I can learn to wait. I can learn to make do with what I already have. Use what I have instead of always buying something new or more convenient. Stop viewing giving up things as “scarcity” but view the things I already have as “enough”.
Become more self-sufficient. Garden. Grow my own food. Learn to live off of the little bit of land I do have. What more could I be doing with this space? Plant beauty, but plant sustenance too. And what I can’t do myself, support local farmers by buying their produce.
Appreciate my home. Too often home becomes just a place to sleep. Why do we spend so much money on big, beautiful homes if we don’t spend time enjoying them? Living life based around our homes can be good. Letting my life rotate around my family and my neighborhood is a good thing. Create space that we want to live in. And hopefully soon we can invite others in to enjoy this space with us. Support providing affordable housing for all people.
Influence the government for good. Advocate for the government to use our money for the good of the people (food, healthcare, education, job security), and not on bailing out big businesses or spending all our money on defense (war, weapons, protection). This epidemic has highlighted our need for a better healthcare system and better job benefits for all.
People need a living wage. We’ve seen our essential workers step up and serve us all. Let’s honor our essential workers now with a living wage. All that money going to athletes and entertainers that can no longer work for big crowds? All that money used to prop up CEO’s and big business? Let’s start paying our grocery store workers and post office workers and teachers a salary they can live on. Advocate for higher minimum wage laws.
Learn from other countries that are putting their citizens’ wellbeing above other nationalistic concerns. Redefine what success means. Maybe it’s not about a country’s GDP and the growth of the stock market. Maybe we need to look at how we’re caring for the “least of these.” (See Matthew 25:31+) Learn from the happiness factor ( https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2020/#read ). Look at countries doing this well (New Zealand: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/07/11/new-zealand-ditches-gdp-for-happiness-and-wellbeing/#3de586091942 and Finland: https://fortune.com/2020/03/20/world-happiness-report-happiest-countries-finland/
Bring people together. Find commonalities. There is so much division. Maybe we need to stop sharing and reading memes, and learn to really listen to each other. Have conversations. Build on the values we share. Pay attention to the other. Support the marginalized. Tune into the stories.
Learn to identify what isn’t essential in life. Let go of things that don’t work anymore, that aren’t needed, that aren’t essential. Don’t be afraid of letting go. Regularly sit down and evaluate the best use of my time, not based on productivity but based on quality and enjoyment of life.
Creativity makes us more human. Learn to create without inhibitions. Take time to create. Take time to write and draw and build. Take time to sing and practice instruments. Learn a new hobby. This takes a good bit of vulnerability, which is risky, but rewarding.
Waiting is okay. Don’t be afraid to wait. Waiting can be beneficial. Waiting can be productive. Sit in this space. Hold on, because we’re on the verge of something new. This may be a threshold into a new way of living. Stillness is needed. Being in this liminal space is necessary. Not being in control is desirous. Pause. Linger. Hang on.
Not only is waiting good, but doing nothing can also be good. Having space in my day that is not planned and not “productive” is okay. Play can be just what is needed. Reading can be the charge my brain needs. Rest can be vital. Enjoy a game of Yahtzee. Tussle with the family dog. Laugh hysterically. Savor a poem. Browse the newspaper. Lie in the sun.