I recently read a friend’s poem about grieving the death of a loved family member.   It was deeply moving and laid bare my sadness about the state of our world.  The coronavirus pandemic has put physical barriers between family, friends, and communities creating greater levels of loneliness, and has put millions of people out of work precipitating an economic crisis we have yet to understand.

We are also experiencing social upheaval driven by growing frustration and anger about systemic injustices, along with geopolitical realignment resulting from power struggles between different ideologies.

The last few months have been hard, and we know there will be many more hard months.  The symptoms we share:

  • disappointment over what we have missed doing and are still missing,
  • loneliness due to isolation and the absence of in-person communication,
  • anxiety due to worries about job losses and lack of income,
  • insecurity about our own complicity in systemic injustice and developing an understanding of it, and of course,
  • the helplessness we feel as we observe the machinations of the battle of angels and demons can be debilitating.

But, there is hope.  Through all the major upheavals of recorded history, human beings have found a way forward that has brought us to this place in the world.  This place in the world: where the poorest of the poor are fewer and less poor than in the past; the world is more educated than ever before; people are healthier and living longer lives than ever; and, a greater percentage of the world’s population lives in peace than at any time in history.

And, we can reduce fear, uncertainty, loneliness, and the sense of helplessness by belief in humanity’s ability to change and our individual ability to make a difference by taking one action each day to contribute one good thing.

There is always a time to dance.

A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance