27 Apr A Special Message from Executive Director Esther Ripplinger
This post originally aired on Mar. 19, 2020.
My friends,
We live in interesting times. I think it is safe to say that, if we had been asked our opinion on the matter a few months ago, precious few of us would have anticipated circumstances taking the particular turn that they have.
These have been challenging times for us all. Obviously, those who have been exposed to the Coronavirus have the worst of it, but at some level the impact is felt by all of us. Fear, doubt, and anxiety are an ever-present specter, and not just from the virus itself. Business difficulties, limited supplies, and social isolation all bring their own unique challenges and dangers.
Yet as COVID-19 forces us to physically distance ourselves from each other and take extra precautions to safeguard both our own health and that of the people we might interact with, I think it is vital that we remember some simple truths:
First, that physical barriers need not divide us. Yes, we might not be able to directly interact with people as we have been accustomed, but we live in an incredible age of technology that provides other means of keeping in contact. While it is true that phones and computer screens are no substitute for in-person communication, they do allow us options that we would not have had in past eras.
I try to view this time as an opportunity to be more intentional about keeping in contact with my friends and loved ones, and I hope that this experience will be an opportunity for our society to remember the value of the people around us. As the old saying goes, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Threats of division are an opportunity for unity.
In the spirit of that unity (and the technology by which we might share it), our staff are working on bringing you training resources in the near future through our Youtube channel, in addition to those already found on our website, so be sure to keep an eye out for updates. We want to make sure that the launch of our new resources is not delayed by what’s happening, because you deserve our best.
Second, that just because things are outside of our control doesn’t mean we can’t make use of our time. We should not minimize the difficulties, even extreme difficulties, that many people are facing right now. By the same token, however, we should not let these challenges go to waste. Better to make the most use of them and bring some good out of the challenges we face.
Third, that life will always be full of dangers, but that dangers should not keep us from living. Allow me to offer the perspective of a military historian on our staff:
In 1945, we entered the atomic age. The advancement of nuclear armaments meant that mass death was now a distinct possibility in a hitherto unseen fashion. Many feared the end of civilization and, indeed, a nuclear holocaust very nearly occurred multiple times within living memory. People wondered, with cause, how to live in an atomic age.
C.S. Lewis answered this question with his typical bluntness, saying, “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”
The great philosopher was not dismissing the danger, but he was keen to remind people that life is always full of dangers. Thus, rather than being paralyzed be fear, we ought to put the danger in perspective and do our best to live good, meaningful lives.
“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb,” he wrote, “let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”
Indeed, a microbe can do that to us. And, tragically, it has done that to many, perhaps even within our community. This grief should not be minimized or ignored. However, it should also not prevent us from doing those “sensible and human things.”
Friends, there is no denying that we are in difficult times. Yet we will persevere through it, as we always have, and emerge all the stronger for it as one people.
We encourage those of you who are religious to join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters across the country and the world, and we ask that all of us join in solidarity as we face this challenge.
We are in this together.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Human Life of Washington is making an increased effort to optimize our website and other online resources. As such, our Flocknote communications will be coming out more frequently for the foreseeable future. To join our general Flocknote mailing list, please text HLW to 84576 or follow this link: https://humanlifewa.flocknote.com/everyone. If you wish to join additional sub-groups, click the relevant options when prompted. If you only wish to be added to the general group, simply proceed without selecting additional sub-groups. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@humanlifewa.org.