There are crises in every life, which can be personal crises or also affect entire population groups. It is currently affecting the whole world through the corona virus. The economy, tourism and social life have come to a standstill in many countries. Our lives have changed a lot at the moment. We have to avoid social contacts to stop the virus from spreading. Meetings with friends, sports, festivals, theater, cinema, church services etc. are not possible. We can only leave the house if it is necessary, for work reasons, for shopping or for health reasons.
There is uncertainty among people, nobody knows how long the situation will last and how it will end up. What else will we have to do, will the health system be able to withstand, how will the economic situation develop?
However, this slowed time also gives you the chance to pause and reflect on what really matters in life. We can focus on the essentials, set new priorities, rethink. Now the values of our performance society no longer count – higher, faster, further -. Perfectionism and performance. Now counts helpfulness, cohesion, solidarity, renunciation of consideration, taking care of each other and encouraging each other.
“Let us take care of each other! We want to encourage each other to love each other and encourage each other to do good. ”Hebrews 10:24
In times like these we also become aware of how satisfied and grateful we can be for everything we have and we can also think about our consumer behavior. Now that most stores are closed and we can only buy what we really need, many things are no longer necessary. So we notice in what abundance we actually live and how little we actually need effectively.
“Be thankful in all things” 1. Thessalonians 5:18
Now that we can no longer visit our friends, cultivate a community, the services are no longer available, we recognize even more the value of good relationships and friendships that build us up and do us good.
“Friendship is a gift from God”
Now that all schools are closed and depending on the job some parents do not go to work, we have a lot of time to cultivate community in our families and to think of common activities at home.
With traffic at a standstill, we can already see an improvement in air values, nature can regenerate, in Venice people are happy about crystal-clear water in the canals due to the fact that no more ships are sailing. In Trieste dolphins swim to the shore.
We can also see this crisis as an opportunity to think about what ultimately really gives us stability in life. What are we building our foundation on, who or what gives us security? What remains when material things, wealth, finances, health etc. are lost. Who is our provider? All of these things are impermanent and have no hold.
“But we know that for those who love God, all things serve the best” Romans 8:28:
We can remember Almighty God, who created heaven and earth, for whom nothing is impossible, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. In all of our uncertainty and worries, we can trust him. It is at this time when our faith is being tested that we want to hold on to God and confess that He rules. We can use the time to pray, read and proclaim his word.
“My grace is all you need. My strength shows in your weakness ”2 Corinthians 12: 9
Finally, a suitable text that I found on the Internet (author unknown):
The world stands still and we suddenly all have the opportunity to rethink our lives, to discover new sides in oneself, to make difficult decisions and to deal with fears … Suddenly things become important that we have taken for granted long enough: We miss physical closeness to people, social contacts, the privilege to move freely, travel, carefree life, financial security and normality … Is there a reason why everything is turned upside down? Is it a cry for help from nature that needs a break from us? Have we lost the value of life? Just have to be reminded once again of the importance of our life? In this exceptional situation we get to know each other better and have the opportunity to become a little “better”, to set priorities differently, to treat our fellow human beings with respect and love and, at best, to put our own needs back …
Crisis as an opportunity
Lesedauer 3 Minuten
