Articles

Living with uncertainty
Balancing the need to both protect and connect

We’re now seemingly coming out of the lockdown phase in response to the coronavirus pandemic and wondering what life will be like. While some people rush to get back to what was “normal,” others hope for new possibilities of growth and reform. Then, recent tragic events such as the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and the ensuing protests exposed the racial discrimination that exists in our country. So how do we discern what we should resume and what we need to change? This has been a valuable time to reflect on who we are as people. We’ve experienced the impact that an invisible virus can have, but equally significant have been the human connections resulting from the common embrace of personal and universal suffering. Fear is overcome by courageous hope and trust, but also easily shattered when self-preservation and individualism resurface. No detailed guideline for discernment exists, nor a one-size-fits-all solution, but we can learn from people who are navigating it all with love.