Trust

Look Up! – Photo: L. Weikel

I’ll admit it; I’ve been following the unfolding drama of the Coronavirus pandemic as it has blossomed and spread across the world since late December/early January. I’ve listened to the reporters and epidemiologists explain what we’ve been seeing and tell us what we could expect when the infection inevitably reached our shores. And sadly, based on what I’ve observed, and read, and come to understand, I believe we’ve reached the point where we need to wake up, open our eyes, and trust.

No, not some outside force. Notice I said “sadly.” That’s because it would be reassuring and at least a tad bit comforting if we could let down our collective guard enough to trust our leaders, our elected officials, to tell us the best information on how to handle this crisis of infection.

That’s what most of us have believed in, I think. No matter how cynical we might be about politics, most of us have held fast to the belief, deep down, that when we – and by ‘we’ I mean Americans – need to face a crisis as a nation, we stick together, step up to the challenge, and overcome it.

That’s what we do.

That’s who we are.

Crisis of Faith

But that’s not how it’s working out at the moment. Right now, we are being forced to reckon with the fact that we have people at the helm of our government who are actively attempting to manipulate our perception of reality to such an extent that we don’t even accept or follow simple, common sense advice anymore.

Common sense advice like being extra vigilant about washing our hands, since physical contact with the virus, especially via our hands, is the strongest vector of contracting the illness, Covid-19.

Common sense advice like, even if we feel fine, staying away from large groups of people, whether at stores, or at theaters, or at major sporting events, since wherever lots of people gather, there are lots more opportunities to have the virus spread from person to person to person.

Common sense advice like staying at home if we feel sick. Knowing that we shouldn’t go to work if we feel like something that cat dragged in; recognizing that we really should go shopping if we have a fever and a cough.

We’re having a crisis of faith. It’s a crisis of faith in who we can trust.

A Huge Test

The way this crisis is unfolding in our country is a huge test. It’s a test of us as a nation and it’s a test of each of us on an individual basis. And yes, it is a crisis. My use of that word is not hyperbole. It’s reality.

If you’ve been paying attention, the calmest and smartest among us have been sounding the alarm, quietly but assertively. They knew that things would reach a tipping point that would change everything. All of a sudden, all of the reassurances of those who mocked science would come crashing down. Because this stuff grows exponentially.

And now it’s time to turn within. For each one of us to get quiet and sense within ourselves, “How do I want to react to this situation?”

“How can I best take care of myself and those I love?

My suggestion, respectfully, is to trust your heart. Trust your inner knowing.

Stop running. Breathe deeply. Go within your own self and find your calm center. Trust that most of all.