Each of Us is Essential

There isn't a day that goes by in which we fail to hear something about essential workers.

During this health crisis, and time of great need, they have come to us like masked angels to rescue, protect, and comfort. We cheer them sequestered behind windows, create home-made gowns and face coverings to keep them safe, and appreciate them in our hearts more than they will ever know. Here's to each one...essential in every way.

“I am praying today that in this moment there is also a shifting of our values that allows us to see that in God’s eyes everyone is essential.”

— Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin Sr.

When working as a counselor/therapist/administrator in hospitals and clinics I was deemed to be essential for the wellbeing of our patients. If weather or some other crisis kept others home, it was necessary for me to show up so that medication and supportive treatment could be given.

The people I served were almost always grateful and glad to see me, and I have to admit, their appreciation was heartwarming and more treasured than any paycheck I ever received.

Retired from the field for half-a-decade, it still makes me feel like I did some things that made the world a little better. Now, I use those 46 years of experience to give a personal touch to my work as a professional journalist. Now I am non-essential by definition. But here's one thing I have learned. There is no one among us who would fit that characterization. Each of us is essential.

Father Giuseppe Berardelli

Father Hamlin's point of course is that our sacred and essential identity in God's eyes is at the core of who we are. We are powerfully made from all eternity. There has never been one like you and there will never be another. His prayer that our values might shift so that we could clearly see this in every person we encounter is one we all need to embrace. There is no obscure life nor is there an obscure death.

One example of many is that of Father Giuseppe Berardelli from Casnigo, Italy who gave away the life-saving respirator purchased for him by his parishioners to a younger patient who was also struggling with novel coronavirus. The priest didn't even know the person but gave his life so the other might survive. There was no fanfare for Berardelli. But he was certainly essential.

The pandemic will ultimately go away, becoming a part of history.

One hundred years from now few will be alive to share their memories of it. There might be some stories of silly people who crowded beaches at Spring Break in defiance of a disease that would kill so many due to their recklessness.

Mention might be made of irresponsible leaders who called COVID-19 a hoax, played golf and worked out in gyms despite the risks, or visited hospitals without protective equipment, setting a standard with untold consequences.

But there might be a better story to be told…not only of heroes who emerged but of a culture transformed. Our grandchildren and their descendants could live their lives with a universal awakening that every person and all living things are essential. Wouldn’t that be a game-changer.

And what wonderful world it will be.

Transformational Suffering; Saved from the Calmness

In the calm of ordinary life, we often feel indestructible and empowered by accomplishments. Our identity is wrapped up in the role of human-doings rather than human-beings.

But now calmness has been taken away as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transforms who we are.

As we confront our vulnerability, stripped of our masks and hiding places, we might just awaken as a new creation.

What seems to be destroying us could be saving us.

An old friend from my hometown posed a series of questions on his FaceBook page which are on the minds of many of us. He and his wife had a long conversation about what our country might be like when this virus subsides and life outside our homes begins anew. 

"Will small businesses be willing to risk a lot of debt to restart?  How many restaurants will close permanently?  How high will our taxes have to go up to recover part of what governments are having to spend now?  Will social distancing be the new norm in all public venues?  How will the health care industry prepare for the next pandemic, because there will be a next one. And, that preparedness is going to cost us all a pretty penny. So many what-ifs."

There are no answers to his questions of course. Only speculation. Our increased awareness after having faced physical/social isolation, fear, and powerlessness, will have a lasting effect on how we navigate life. It is doubtful that our notions of self-reliance, pulling up by the bootstraps, and sheer positive determination will remain our long suit. Sadly though, the what-ifs could be replaced by if-onlys on the other side unless we are transformed by these experiences. 

We have been offered an unexpected gift during these days, weeks and months of confinement and loss. We will have an opportunity to realign and rotate our set of tires. With more time taken for silence, prayer, and meditation, important questions will surface which transcend those posed regarding what will become of us. 

Longing to be close to one another, we ask whether loved ones know how much they are treasured and whether we show it nearly enough. Harboring old grudges, we ask whether we have forgiven or asked forgiveness. Carelessly swerving through our days we wonder if it is possible to slow down, savor, and be more grateful. I wonder if we could take ourselves off of auto-pilot?

New and better people will show up when traveling the world with these new tires we have been given. Calm will return after this storm. Personal growth mixed with a deeper appreciation for what is most important will lead our transformed selves to be more accepting and less judgmental. Our suffering will have led us to a new freedom and new understanding. It is that which will bring us to the fullness of life for which we have always searched. 

So, even as I find myself longing to be close to you, my aching heart anticipates all of the wonderful days to come when we will be reunited in a wonderfully transformed and unfettered love.