Silver linings

Later, you will say to yourself, “I will always remember where I was when…” There are some moments in your life that are absolutely pivotal, where nothing is ever the same again. Some are like lightning bolts – sudden and shocking. Others simmer, gathering momentum and then boil over. Either way, your life is changed.

We had boarded the Queen Mary II a few days earlier. A 42-day journey would take us from Sydney, Australia to Southampton, UK, traversing vast oceans and seas while taking in the flora, fauna, and fine wines of southern Australia, the exotic lands of Mauritius and La Reunion, and the wilds of the African deserts and savannahs. It was, as the saying goes, a “trip of a lifetime.” Until that moment…

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An urgent plea via email from our daughter in Ottawa implored us to come home. Five days into our epic journey, we heeded her call – and that of the Canadian government. Was it a coincidence that it was Friday the 13th of March 2020? COVID had arrived.

In that moment, everything changed. We isolated, we masked, we distanced. Lunchtime featured broadcasts with updates on caseloads, deaths, and where we were on a curve that never seemed to flatten. Reminiscent of those optimists who thought that the First World War would be “over by Christmas,” we too held onto that hope. But we had not counted on second and third waves, not to mention variants. But there was light at the end of the tunnel: vaccination trials were promising and soon, our anxiety shifted to “when will I get my jab?”

For many, this long and seemingly interminable pandemic has taken its toll – physically, emotionally, spiritually, economically, and socially. Social scientists will have much to say for years to come about the impacts of what we are experiencing. And we can only begin to imagine their longer-term impacts for our children and our grandchildren.

As we approach Thanksgiving 2021, a year and a half into this “new normal,” what are the silver linings from this pandemic for which we can give thanks? Recalling my Spiritual Director’s wise words from years past, the silver linings of such events lie in what we are meant to learn from them. 

So, what have we learned?

This pandemic has shed new light on the social and economic disparities not only within our societies, but throughout the world. While non-discriminatory in who it assails, the COVID virus nevertheless has affected the marginalized and the more vulnerable amongst us disproportionately. As for vaccine availability, we in the “western” world were more fortunate than those in poorer developing countries. Surely, this should give us pause. What does this say about our commitment to the Christian principles of justice and righteousness? Are we not called to share our abundance with others?

We have also learned just how interdependent we are, especially in a globalized world. Isn’t it ironic that at a time when we are called to isolate socially, our need for each other is greater than ever? Surely, this highlights the importance of those who are critical to our very survival – those in the service sectors, many of whom earn minimum wage and who place themselves at risk in order to ensure that we have food, health care, and doorstep deliveries of whatever we have ordered on-line! Are we not all thankful for their service and increasingly mindful of their value to our well-being? Will we remember their value when “things go back to normal”?

Necessity proved yet again to be the mother of invention. Faced with lockdowns, how were we to work, play, connect at a human level, and worship? Over the last 18 months, a proliferation of communications technology has responded through ZOOM meetings, YouTube broadcasts, and Facetime visits. What a gift for which to be thankful! And yet, there are downsides.

Perhaps one of the greatest “losses” we have experienced is the loss of human contact and a sense of community. Being aware of this is something which we need to incorporate in our way forward as we emerge from this time of social isolation. Do we not yearn to be in community? Do we not yearn for the table of hospitality where we celebrate our communion?

At the same time, we have also been given the precious gift of time, time that has afforded us an opportunity for self-discovery and to be still and welcome God’s presence in our daily lives. Our balcony became a sacred place of quiet reflection for me each day.

There are so many other “learnings,” these silver linings for which we give thanks in what we hope may be the “end of COVID times.” The challenge that lies before us, however, is to remember them and to incorporate them in the “new normal” to which we aspire. Life has changed and so must we!

A former Canadian diplomat, Canon Glasgow, who served for several years as the Anglican Church’s Government Relations Advisor, continues her ministry as Honorary Assistant at St. Bartholomew’s Church.