A Season of Hope
Who could have dreamed as we entered 2020 that the whole world would be dealt the blow of COVID-19, that millions of people’s lives would be forever changed? I dare to guess no one. Yet that is exactly what has happened and the world still looks for a reprieve, a cure, an end. Has this virus had the final say? I also dare to say a resounding no. How to describe it? As Charles Dickens so famously said in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”
Can we really say, it is the “best of times”? In many remarkable ways it is, as it has called forth the best in us as a human race. We need only look to the doctors, nurses, and all frontline workers who have so selflessly dedicated themselves to helping others. The myriad of global research efforts taking place focused solely on finding a vaccine that would be accessible to all peoples of the world. And the unprecedented collaboration between nations and levels of government to care for those most in need during these difficult times. Perhaps it can seem more like the “worst of times” with so many of our elderly and at-risk populations bearing the brunt of this virus, the painful isolation of so many people forced to grieve the loss of loved ones alone, and the countless lives affected by the loss of businesses and livelihoods. The many injustices of our country revealed to us daily by the Black Lives Matter movement, the calls from our First Nations peoples for redress of wrongs they continue to endure, and the many homeless on our streets all make for serious consciousness raising on us as citizens. Yes, this time of pandemic is filled with mixed blessings, but also a time filled with many seeds of new life and hope.
The hope lies in the indomitable spirit of humanity to overcome adversities of every kind and to envision a better world for all. Our ability to quickly adapt and find ways to reach out to each other and build community across the necessary divides of isolation and social distancing. We continue to witness the massive efforts being successfully made to carry on meetings, teach courses, to preach messages of hope and worship together, all from the confines of our homes through the use of technology. Instead of cancelling many special celebrations, such as the recent ordinations to the deaconate and priesthood here in Toronto, these wonderful celebrations were livestreamed allowing thousands of people, worldwide, to participate. What seemed impossible has become possible, for nothing is impossible with God.
Like so many of our religious foundresses and founders, we are living in a pivotal time in history. An exciting and hopeful time when we can see endless possibilities to found a “new Normal” that is more loving, compassionate and just using our 2020 vision.