Many of our posts here have a definitive beginning, end, and bottom line point \u2014 sort of as if, when complete, it\u2019s all wrapped up in a nice, neat, figurative bow. This will be no such post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to talk about COVID-19\u2026 the vaccine, masks, mandates, our individual and collective response. Let\u2019s face it; it\u2019s messy. It\u2019s also hard for the masses to talk about respectfully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing I know for certain is that Covid is still a thing. It is still affecting us\u2026 what we do, how we act, how we interact. There are so many questions that continue to swirl\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What stage are we in? \u2026 are we still in a pandemic? \u2026 or in an endemic now?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s our end game? \u2026 complete annihilation of the virus? \u2026 or reducing it to an endemic?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And what\u2019s with the messaging? \u2026 why do the words\/behavior of the administrations (current and past), the CDC, and FDA not always agree? \u2026 are there political motivations in play?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of the problem, it seems, is that we can\u2019t agree on even the questions above. So let\u2019s attempt to approach this from a different angle\u2026 We have a crisis.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me be more specific: we have an empathy crisis. <\/em>We\u2019re selective in whom we choose to actually extend empathy \u2014 to those arguably most often associated with Covid\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026 to those who are sick\u2026 The U.S. has experienced almost 43 million cases of Covid. Near 700,000 have died. I can only imagine. A dear friend who wrestled with it called it nothing short of a \u201cliteral hell\u201d; she said it was like an elephant sitting on her chest for three weeks. True, the fatality rate is less than 2%, but every person has a story, and every story matters to God. How heartbreaking indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026 to our friends in the healthcare industry\u2026 Many hospitals are overloaded. There\u2019s a shortage of workers. More continue to quit. As a trusted professional shared with me, some quit because they\u2019re downright exhausted. Some quit because they\u2019re exhausted and frustrated; they\u2019ve lost faith in the system; they\u2019ve lost faith in humanity \u2014 in people trusting the science, doing what they believe is proven to be wise. \u201cWe all want to do good,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want the healthcare system to be able to flex and be able to deal with this. But it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there\u2019s the friend who is routinely called in for extra nursing shifts in the nearby, very full NICU, and at the end of those long, draining shifts, is often confronted by protestors\u2026 Caution: soapbox comment coming\u2026 Why is it protestors always go after the wrong people? Protestors\/activists seem to go after who\u2019s easiest to attack \u2014 not necessarily who\u2019s most responsible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n … to the vaccinated who are high risk… For those for whom the virus would be immediately life-threatening \u2014<\/em> including friends and family for most all \u2014<\/em> this is really hard. It’s scary… don’t other people see how their choice affects me?….<\/em> We don’t all have the same fears, but wisdom doesn’t make the unlike fears of another any less valid. So I’ll say it again: this is really hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026 to the unvaccinated\u2026 (Remember: we said this was messy.) <\/em>I listened to another intelligent friend share his family\u2019s choice not to receive the vaccine. It\u2019s not that they don\u2019t believe in immunity. It\u2019s not that they don\u2019t love and care for their community. They are pained by the thought that countless times they\u2019ve been told they are a \u201cthreat\u201d to society \u2014 that because of them \u201cmillions are going to die.\u201d That\u2019s the farthest thought from their mind. They don\u2019t question the efficacy of the vaccine; rather, they question the speed at which this was produced and thus its safety. They want immunity, too; they simply, genuinely believe that natural immunity is safer than manufactured immunity. They are also confused at why the conversation is so focused on the vaccinated vs. the unvaccinated, omitting the believed even greater effectiveness of natural immunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s be honest; it\u2019s easier to give empathy to some people more than others. Have you noticed the number who have offered mockery instead? Or anger instead of empathy? But what if solution actually began<\/em> with empathy? What if truth trumping conspiracy was jumpstarted by empathy? What if we recognized that relationship and conversation are healthier and more productive when we choose empathy? Empathy doesn\u2019t mean agreement, friends; empathy means we work to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writes columnist and Intramuralist favorite, David French: \u201c\u2026 Becoming empathetic does not mean that we forsake the search for truth. In fact, it can often empower us and motivate us to seek greater knowledge and insight. It means, however, that we shouldn\u2019t prioritize our fallible and frequently-mistaken perception of the truth over the humanity and experience of the person before us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if we\u2019re dealing with something as simple as \u2018vaccines work,\u2019 or \u2018a vaccine likely would have saved his life,\u2019 the person who lacks empathy is often stunningly ignorant of another person\u2019s heart or motivations or the full context of their lives. There is so much they don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s so much we don\u2019t know, friends. What if we got that? What if we were less selective? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence, no nice, neat, figurative bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many of our posts here have a definitive beginning, end, and bottom line point \u2014 sort of as if, when complete, it\u2019s all wrapped up in a nice, neat, figurative bow. This will be no such post. I want to talk about COVID-19\u2026 the vaccine, masks, mandates, our individual and collective response. Let\u2019s face it; … <\/p>\n