WEATHERING THE STORM
Thoughts about COVID-19, a Follow-up
As a dedicated Course in Miracles student, as well as a “Unitic,” I have been pondering what, if anything, I am supposed to learn from these months of isolation/quarantine. I have been on the balance beam of wanting to ensure the safety of all my friends and family by following the strictest practices to keep us all healthy vs. wanting to trust that, indeed, my “safety is guaranteed by God.” I find myself wavering between total panic when a stranger gets too close to me at the grocery store, and the reckless desire to pack my bags and take that airplane trip to Seattle. And these yoyo thoughts continue on almost an hourly basis, depending on what I am reading, or hearing about on Facebook or t.v.
Our family did have a scare when our daughter Genevieve tested positive for the virus at the end of July. Because we had all had dinner together the night she started showing symptoms, we were required to be tested ourselves and quarantine for 14+ days. Our granddaughter, who lives with her mom, had to quarantine for an additional 10 days. For some miraculous reason, the four of us all tested negative. Which led my ego mind to wonder if the virus isn’t as contagious as the medical establishment believes, or if we somehow had immunity. In a way I almost wished we had had it, so we could stop being so afraid of catching it! Immediately, I realized that old truth: “Be careful what you wish for.” A friend of mine reminded me that they (the medical people) just don’t know yet how or why the virus is so deadly for certain people, and not for others. That’s why they’re calling it “the Novel Coronavirus.”
So, what am I learning from this experience? Again, I am reminded of a quote from one of my favorite spiritual teachers, Hugh Prather, who suggested that the first question all of us ask is, “Why? Why me?” and that the answer to that is usually the last thing we figure out, long after the experience has passed. So in the meantime, I have been focusing on how this virus is playing the ultimate ego experience for all of us. It has forced us to stay completely separate from each other, made us believe that our survival depends on isolation instead of community, and that we must watch out only for ourselves. What is the antidote? During the Great Depression, Charles Fillmore said that the whole world could be in a recession, but that doesn’t mean we at Unity have to participate! Instead, let’s focus on how our hearts are connecting even when our bodies cannot. Let’s focus on what we can do to help each other in spite of the distance between us. Let us remember that our greatest power lies in our love for one another and trust that the light we bring will indeed save the world.
In prayer and blessings for you,
Linda Andrus, your Licensed Unity Teacher
(also known as The Church Lady)
