大象传媒

From Father Brian D鈥橝rcy, a Catholic Passionist priest:听
The 13th century Persian poet Rumi, in his poem 鈥淭he Guest House,鈥� describes life as a series of encounters with strangers such as joy, anguish or meanness. We should learn from each visitor and welcome them because 鈥淓ven if they鈥檙e a crowd of sorrows, who sweep your house empty, they may be clearing you out for some new delight.鈥� Be grateful he says 鈥渂ecause each has been sent as a guide from beyond.鈥� I don鈥檛 know if Covid 19 could be welcomed but we have to find something positive in it.听
Perhaps we are being cleared out for some new delight. In an interview in The Tablet religious magazine Pope Francis reflected on the pandemic. 鈥淭here is鈥濃�� he said. 鈥淎n expression in Spanish: 鈥楪od always forgives; we forgive sometimes; but nature never forgives鈥欌��I don鈥檛 know if these {events} are the revenge of nature, but they are certainly nature鈥檚 response.鈥� The Pope is reflecting what many of us believe 鈥� that Pandemics happen when nature is abused. Perhaps we do need to change our ways. Perhaps we were hurtling along feeding a greedy civilisation that couldn鈥檛 last. 鈥楴ever waste a good crisis鈥� is a fundamental principle of Counselling.听
When we acknowledge our helplessness we cannot rush a crisis. We need to be patient, live with the confusion and wait for the prophetic insights to unravel. Isn鈥檛 it true that we are witnessing extraordinary bravery from the marvellous frontline workers every day? Didn鈥檛 we take them for granted until the pandemic became the invisible enemy sweeping across continents and borders without a passport? Because of Covid I have become more grateful for the water to wash my hands; I have food to enjoy and space to isolate in. I live in the country and see sights and hear sounds I haven鈥檛 experienced since childhood. Communities everywhere are learning to look out for the vulnerable and the old. Did we really need a pandemic to teach us to be kinder? This crisis is causing untold suffering. However, we can have a better society if we hold on to this new-found compassion. I realise that no one can help everyone; still everyone can help someone.