Quarantine Thoughts

I’m experiencing a lot of anxiety today. The world is bleak with disease, earthquakes and the threat of war. There is a lot of anxiety over whether I’ve made a bad choice about leaving the high-control Jehovah’s Witness organization I belonged to my entire life. I feel fear and regret over my past. But, on a logical level, things are different. 

True religion helps you feel stronger during crisis. False religion makes you fearful. Real spirituality expands to include others. Fake spirituality contracts to exclude. Fear is the opposite of love and any idea that promotes a terrifying view of the world cannot be based in love. Philosophies based on either outlook can be judged based on their roots: it is loving and true or it is fearful and false. 

There is not going to be a perfect resolution to this crisis. It is unprecedented. But, we will get through this. It won’t be without loss or hardship. It will not be the same for any of us when this is over. But, the measure of difference is up to us. 

Will we change enough to prevent a disaster of this magnitude from hurting us this badly again? Or will we return to life as normal, blissfully unaware that we are tempting fate again and again? Can we change enough within ourselves to truly love our neighbors from now on? Or will we go right back to ignoring people as we pass each other in the streets?

We are at such a crucial time in our history as a species. We can fix this. But, we have to do the right thing. As individuals this means avoiding unnecessary contact for now. As companies this means taking care of business that will contribute to the solution. As countries this means watching out for each other and making sure all of our needs are met. As a planet this means giving our only celestial home a chance to breathe and heal from what we’ve done to her. 

There has never been a time when we need more heroes. This is not a call for the few. This is a shout for the many to stand up and do their part. Be a hero. Be the solution. Be the one to tell stories to future generations about the time we all stood apart so we could stand together. Be the best, most exaggerated version of a true hero you can possibly be. 

I’m going to get through this. You’re going to get through this. We all are going to come out the other side of this situation and marvel at what we’ve done. There will be hugging parties, we will shake hands like never before, and we will get together like families that haven’t seen each other in decades. 

We will celebrate if we do the right thing right now.