Kids,
As I write this, we are experiencing a surge in Covid cases. Our family recovered from the illness a couple months ago and many of the folks in our community are coming down with it, including close friends of mine who have been hospitalized. It’s a strange time. It’s a strange time for you to grow up in. But I suppose to you, right now, it is not so strange. March of 2020 was almost two years ago, and in the lives of a 9, 7 or 5 year old, two years seems like forever. It is my hope that dealing with these adversities at a young age will give you a healthy perspective on how to react when it seems like the world is coming apart.
I can tell you that Covid is certainly unprecedented during my life, and I would like to share with you my thoughts on how one ought to engage with the world with so much uncertainty.
Uncertainty is to be expected in this life. Nicolas Taleb calls these “Black Swans” (Although there is some debate as to whether this particular pandemic counts as a true Black Swan due to the “predictability”, but for your average American adult it very much was an unexpected event with huge implications). These Black Swan events are characterized by being unexpected, transformative, and having a huge impact. 9/11 was a Black Swan for my generation. The Norman invasion was a Black Swan for the Saxon’s in the year 1066 AD. (And who doesn’t think about the Saxon’s at times like these, am I right? Just me? ok...) They were not expected or planned for, but they happened and changed everything. Maybe we will tackle risk assessment and decision making in a later post which is related to Black Swans, but for now let’s discuss how to behave in a manner that is honorable and good in the midst of such events.
You will have to learn to cope with uncertainty and unexpected events in your life. And when they do the foundational principles will be the same.
Be Courageous. There are times when it may be tempting to give into fear and panic, instead move forward with courage. Acting courageously may look like a lot of different things. To me being courageous is to do the right thing even when it’s scary or difficult.
(Think about Anna in Frozen II "The next right thing." Just me again? ok...)
In this pandemic, I think it was courageous of your mom to tackle teaching all four of you even while working. She used her organizational skills to come up with a daily schedule and plan which kept us all growing, learning and enjoying our lives. In a particularly brilliant move, Liz sent you all out to paint the inside of the play house. It turned out beautifully and exemplified the chaos of the time.
There are a lot of ways to be brave in the middle of adversity…most of them are simply carrying on with grace, humility and dignity.
Be Flexible. Being flexible is a skill. It is one that is necessary for life. Finding ways to accomplish what needs to be done in new or different ways. The world adapted to working from home. We went digital. I participated in a zoom hearing with fighting kids (yes you guys) in the background. Be flexible! Try to enjoy the novelty and creativity of finding new ways to solve everyday issues. Your mom tells me she'd been doing this all for years and was glad when the rest of the professional world finally caught up. :)
Be gracious. There are so many opinions and anger out there surrounding all of this. Be gracious to everyone. Everyone. Even if they disagree with you. It's ok to wear a mask if it makes someone else more comfortable. Its ok to listen to someone else’s fears and not demean them even if you don’t have the same opinion. It costs you nothing to be gracious. It is a practical way to love people.
Be sacrificial. If we are to behave as Jesus would have us behave then the first answer is to live sacrificially. What might this Pandemic require you to sacrifice? Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the former Chief’s lineman and medical doctor, chose to give up a year of his lucrative football career to volunteer in overcrowded hospitals. Be like Tardif. Look to what your skills are and try to use those skills to help others and serve.
Finally, it will always be tempting to ask, “why?” in the face of any tragedy or crisis. Why has God allowed this? This is a normal question and I think it is answered well in the person of Jesus.
In John chapter 9, Jesus and his disciples encounter a blind man. His disciples ask him, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” The Disciples were asking, “What was the cause?!” (Somewhat judgmentally). Jesus’s response subverts this question. He says, it wasn’t because of his sin or his parents sin, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. He then healed the man, saying “We must work the works of Him who sent me.”
Jesus answered the question of evil and pain in the world not by explaining, but by serving, redeeming and ultimately by his own sacrificial death on the cross. His ultimate sacrifice, ultimate redemption provides for the final renewal of the world. When we ask why didn't God do something, the answer is that he did. He is continuing to do it, he will finally accomplish his work when he says to the World, "Behold, I make all things new!" And as if this wasn’t exciting enough, he invites us along to participate in his redemptive work in the world. That kids, is how to respond in the midst of chaos.
How can I be an agent of redemption? How can I behave like Jesus did? Choose to seek God to have these things to emanate from your actions: Peace, Love, Joy, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Patience, Faithfulness and Self-Control.
Implementing this will always be a challenge and we will falter along the way. Give yourself grace, allow yourself to receive grace. Make the best decisions you can through trust in God and prayer. Do not judge others for their choices, but focus on Jesus’s sacrifice and try to be like him. If you prioritize these things, you will be living well. Even in a global pandemic.
P.S. Here’s a link to a song about the Anglo Saxons https://youtu.be/-kDuqKKxico “In 1065 they were ragin’ but 1066 brought the Norman invasion” … “A sub-literate bunch of guys, but some sources say otherwise!”
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