Quarantined, the gregarious citizens of Italy (including my daughter, her Italian husband & their children) found a way to unite by taking to their balconies & singing. Others gathered to cheer for doctors & nurses.
Music & cheering do not kill viruses. Instead, they are hymns of hope that dilute Fear's poison. They are the solo chickadee singing his way through the shadows of Spring.
Every leader knows that crises galvanize people. They understand that power comes easily when people are united against a common fear.& they appreciate the second reason crises energize: emergencies fuel meaning.
Just as we are warned to stay apart the virus draws us together - both emotionally & logically. We find meaning by sharing what we have in common in whatever way we can find.
As millions become instant caregivers for the un-hospitalized elderly their lives becoming more meaningful. And the cared for feel more hopeful.
Beware of Crises' dark side. Millions concoct fear to make themselves feel better at the expense of others. The Ku Klux Klan united white racists. Nazi's did the same. In all such cases leaders distort truth to unite followers around hate instead of love.
Jesus called us to find Love against peer pressure to hate. Love your enemies. Love the lepers, those who look different & even those who betrayed you. Love the drug addict in the ER & the Death Row inmate headed for execution.
It is easy to join in when everyone is singing for good & hard to stand strong when the crowd is a mob. This standard is so difficult that we all fail sometimes & some flunk routinely.
Radical Loving Care calls us to love even when Fear says it makes no sense. Why? Because love is the heart of our highest humanity.
-Erie Chapman
Photograph - "Shadows of Spring" 2018 by Erie
