With the spread of the Corona Virus, fear seems to be gripping our everyday lives. The stock market tumble of this past week was truly scary, especially for those who depend on their investments to live or retire on. What many experts tell me though is that this will correct once we know how big this epidemic is and what we can do to manage it. Remember that the fatality rate for this new virus is similar to other serious viruses. It is really the unknown nature of the virus that has many of us scared.
Fear breeds other reactions. One of the most common is the myth of scarcity. Because of what we don’t know, we tend to provision ourselves with ideas and products we do know about. There is currently a shortage of hand sanitizers. Our rational minds may know that hand sanitizers alone won’t stop the virus but our limbic minds react anyway. The myth of scarcity is that there won’t be enough of (fill in the blank) to keep us safe and alive. For us, especially in the wealthy West, that scarcity is not as real as it seems in the long-term sense. While we may face some discomfort (mostly from people who are afraid) we are very likely to overcome this event and continue on with our lives.
I hope that you will come to church and share in the courage we offer one another. While it is important to take precautions as you deem necessary, I do urge you to continue to participate in the life of our congregation. Come to be renewed and strengthened. Come to move beyond fear towards our better selves.
At times like these our faith in one another and the goodness of humanity is greater than whatever fear the news is peddling. If in doubt, call me. I am here for you.
See you in church, Rev. John