LESSONS FROM MY PANDEMIC
There have been many articles about what folks learned during the pandemic, but I want to add my small perspective, in hopes that it may resonate with you. Because it is not quite over. We still have some time to go before we re-enter our lives. And I am hoping we never go back to what some call "normal," because that adversely affects BIPOC and poor communities.
Ok, take a deep breath, religion is on the horizon. Duck!
1/ In a sermon of Fr. Mike's which I listened to from the "Hallow" app (Catholic), he said, "Fear sometimes can be an opportunity for something new."
Think about that. Think about the fear we have all felt during the last year: that we would get sick, might die, or have irreversible damage.
What have I seen as an opportunity here? My old friend, Paula D'Arcy (retreat leader, writer, founder of the Red Bird Foundation) wrote a book called, "A New Set of Eyes." Paula suffered the death of her two year-old daughter and husband in a drunk driving accident many years ago (read, "Song for Sarah"), and out of this terrible loss, she has gained much wisdom. What would happen, she asks, if we all began to see through a new set of eyes?
--I would see that the sun through the birds' wings flying over our deck is a prayer. Not like a prayer, but actually is a prayer.
--I would know that birds, squirrels, chipmunks, bear, deer and more are made from stardust--just as I am. We are one spirit. When a female hummingbird, after being knocked to the deck by a male who then stood on her, flew to my black shirt and perched there for 9 minutes, I wondered how this could be. Paula answered me succinctly, "We are all one spirit, Ann." This is what Indigenous communities have known for millennia, but colonials and their descendants have not listened.
2/ Second lesson for me is this: Listen more than you talk. When I speak with my honeys, pause before replying and take a deep breath. I must be more like the Dine who teach how rude it is to interrupt, how to take time for words to sink in before answering.
Make silence my friend, for--oh-oh, more religion on the horizon--Thomas Merton tells us that it is only in silence that God speaks to us. (Probably from his, New Seeds of Contemplation.)
3/ Third lesson during this hard year: There is little that a cup of strong tea or coffee and a hot pumpkin, coconut, chocolate chip muffin will not soothe. Notice I did not say "cure," as that would be untrue. Some things are too hard, too painful for this to make a difference. But it sure as hell settles things down within, calming that anxious voice saying, "What's next? Can I cope? How can we go on like this?" I have also found that salted dark chocolate can help the willies.
--I would also add that listening to the song, "Perfect," sung by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli can comfort heartache and bring joy. Watching them both sing reminded me of how music can soothe the tortured heart. Try it.
4/ Seeing real people in the flesh fills our hearts. Over the summer we had a number of friends and family up for good food on our deck, and it gave me such joy. Recently, we even had two friends up for coffee and muffins on our deck in front of the warming fire pit.
Still cold, but so good to be with people and actually hug them. (We've had vaccines.) This reminded me of how much we all need hugs, touching, and shining faces. We are made for community.
5/ It is never too late to try something new, to expand one's horizons. Those who know me on FB see how many vegan posts I have shared in the past year; how it has helped my energy after cancer and chemo and helped me feel healthier. I also joined a book group led by the fabulous Rev. Andrea Ayvazian (also known as "double A" by one member of the Alden Baptist Church), reading "Jesus and the Disinherited," by Howard Thurman. I am learning so much about what it is like to be a disinherited person and community. The group members are from the Alden Baptist Church, bringing so much wisdom from their lived experiences as people of color.
6/ Faith has helped me and kept me grounded. Also: Dan Rather's "Steady"; Heather Cox Richardson; Zoom UCC Church; live FB Mass; and Alden Baptist Church's live FB feed at 10:00 Sundays, with Pastor Love and amazing singing. (You have to friend them first to access this.) I need faith. I need to feel God's hands holding me up, whispering in my ears, "All will be well, all will be well, and all manner of things shall be well." Remember when Julian of Norwich wrote these words, she knew: wars, plagues, famine, disease, persecutions, and more. But the take away is this: if God is walking with us, we will survive. I know this in the very cells of my body.
Enough said. Although I might add that the frisky presence of a small Jack Russell in our house has kept us sane. Snuggles, pets, walks up the road, and listening to her snore. Doggy love.
If you wish to join the conversation--and please do!--post a comment and wait for it to appear. I have to vet it first as admin of this site. Couragio. We shall survive, and if Biden is right, by July 4th we may all be cooking on the barbeque with friends and families in our backyards.
Nice piece, Annie. Glad to see Biden at the end. I actually wept during the speech, not because we are anywhere near home free, but just because of being presented with hope. In such short supply recently. Hope threads through your blog, as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, my bro. We are in such dire need of hope, our mental health has been shredded during the last 4 years, and this president, his VP and cabinet, all lift my spirits. Now, if we can only get the GOP followers to get their vaccines!
DeleteAnnie,
DeleteHope all is well with your and your family. I would like to comment on your article.
The views expressed by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church are not unique to that Church and are the historical norm among Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim and other non Christian religions as well as non Christian ideologies such as Communism.
It is a man's world and all the government, military and religious organizations are overwhelmingly male and their decisions. beliefs and actions are determined by their maleness. Women are unable to understand the nature of men and male aggression and violence because they do not have Y chromosome in their DNA. So even male Christian clergy will ignore male violence and sexual aggression because they are male.
So what has evolved in the Catholic Church (and other Christian and non Christian Churches) can be summarized as follows:
The sins that women commit are mortal sins.
The mortal sins that men commit are not real sins.
So women who marry other women, use family planning or have abortions commit mortal sins. However, men who commit mass murder in wartime and kill millions of women are not sinners and instead are heroes and should receive medals and place of honor in society for their mortal sins.
I am a student of history. From 2014 to 2020 there have been numerous articles on the 100th anniversary events of World War 1. That was a war fought among the Christian nations of Europe that was fought over nothing and 15 million died. There are many photographs of Catholic priests, Protestant ministers and Orthodox priests conducting religious services for the soldiers before going into battle and murdering their fellow Christians. They gave their blessing to evil actions.
The same occurred in World War 2. There were 27 million men who fought in the Axis armies and committed the worst atrocities in the history of the human race. Almost all of them were Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox (but not Jewish!). None of the Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox religious leaders every prohibited or criticized or restricted their participation in any way. None were excommunicated, None were ever denied communion.
The point is that male run religious Churches have no moral authority over women in any matter of ethics or morals because they have openly supported the evil done by their male members. Basically they are asserting that women who marry other woman are immoral but their male members should not be sanctioned in any way if they murder women and children. They are incapable of realizing that murdering a women is more sinful than a women marrying another women.
Women who have abortions are immoral but Christian men who commit mass murder during wartime are heroes and should not be criticized in any way.
There is word for this- hypocrisy.
This world view among male dominated religious, political and military organizations is not unique to the Catholic Church. It occurs in all of them.
If you were male you would be better able to understand this but it is difficult for women to comprehend this because they do not have the desire to go to war and commit mass murder or commit sexual assault.
Michael