The answer is simple - though not easy.
If everyone stayed home as much as possible.
If everyone wore a mask in public.
If everyone cared a little bit more about the health of other people -
The virus would go away.
And that last one is our problem:
Why should I care about other people?
We should care because how we treat people says something about who we are and who we are becoming.
We should care because we want our ourselves, our communities and our nation to be generous, empathetic, kind, and courteous - not selfish, rude, callous.
Nobody’s happy about the ‘I’ve got mine, so the heck with you’ culture that’s been on the rise for the last half century.
We’re tired of it.
It’s not satisfying.
And it’s not working.
Look at the ‘happiness index’ - where the U.S. ranked at its lowest-ever this past year - at 19th and falling -
Or the rise in ‘diseases of despair’ - suicide, addiction, and depression - all on them on the upswing.
And look at the increase in the ‘wealth gap’ - that continues to enrich those who need it least - to the detriment of those who need it most.
It’s time we change - and we’re seeing it happen.
People are marching in the streets to say something profound about the society we want to live in. And it’s one marked by care for other people - especially those who have been marginalized.
We are at our best not when we’re hoarding all the cookies - but when we’re sharing them with our neighbors.
I get it if we don’t want to pay 17-cents extra for a Big Mac so the person who made it can get a living wage.
Or to pay 5-bucks more a month in rent because of a millage to improve the schools.
Or to have a bit more from my paycheck deducted so my neighbors who don’t have health care, can get it.
But when we choose to live only for ourselves, we choose a shallow, lonely, and ultimately unsatisfying life - and we can’t be surprised that when a deadly virus comes knocking, it becomes even more of a challenge that it might otherwise be.
So let’s keep our distance.
Mask up.
And love your neighbor as yourself.
It can save someone’s life - and it can save our own souls.
It can save someone’s life - and it can save our own souls.
