Hope in light of Covid - 19

Lisa Simpson once said to Homer (who is once again in big trouble at the nuclear power plant) “Dad, remember the Japanese have the same word for crisis as they do for opportunity.”

“Crisi-tunity!” Replies a freshly revived Homer. 

It is a defining time…

Loss of life, damage to the economy, wide spread fear, loneliness and isolation. It has been a season that has brought out the best and worst of humanity as crises tend to do. Hording toilet rolls and stock piling to preserve one’s own yet also huge waves of compassion as many act to support those who are vulnerable.  These are defining times on a global, national, communal and personal level.  

It is also a redefining time…

There is hope because we see a rallying round a muddling through and lots of “we’ll get through this together” moments. There is hope because we see glimpses of how the trial of Covid - 19 reveals our compassion. There is hope that as the months progress we’ll be known as a nation that cared not only for the physically vulnerable but also those on: the breadline, self-employed, artists, creatives, caterers, small and large businesses alike.  Yes! Let’s pray for and be part of these crisi-tunities.

There is a deeper hope…We have been exposed in a very real way to the fragility of life.  Responding with compassion and support in ways great and small are good. These noble things deserve our full pursuit but there is a bigger question we should pursue and its answer is found in our fragility not our strength.

The question is as old as it is cliché – why is there suffering? It is a question no-one has answered satisfactorily in the history of humanity nor am I claiming to now.  However, it is precisely in this mystery that hope is found.  Our fragility should make us question the why and what for of life’s challenges. 

Nearly every great monastic tradition says – pursue the wound. That means that as we medicate our suffering we should also allow our pain to teach us. After all pain serves to alert us to the fact there is a problem! As we pursue the source of pain we find that much of life is broken. Somewhere on this Journey we begin to note that someone has been walking this path with us.  Some once described by Henri Nouwen as the “wounded–healer,” Jesus.

Accompanied by this wounded-healer we find a deeper hope because God is experiencing what we are experiencing – whilst Bart Simpson would say “eat my shorts” God would say “take my hand.”  By placing our hand in God’s hand he enters our world and we enter his.

At Easter this profound mystery is played out.  On Good Friday we remember that Jesus died on the cross but that on Easter Day he rose from the dead.  What this means is that even death is not the end. God in Jesus has defeated death through his resurrection. God in Jesus suffers with us but we rise in him to new life. The death and resurrection of the God-Son Jesus is the ultimate act of crisi-tunity!

Jesus said “For this is the will of God, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:40)

Hope in this corona crisis then is found not just in our best efforts but also in what God has done for us in Jesus.  When we hold God’s hand we find our deepest eternal healing. When we hold God’s hand we find the strength for each day for ourselves and to sustain our compassion to serve others. When we hold God’s hand, life and love last forever.  As one great saint put it - “time exists that we might find God - life that we might know and share his love.”  

May peace and hope be with you and all those whom you love

Simon W