There are two sides to every coin. There are at least two ways of looking at every situation.
When something is right, it is for the benefit of all. When something is wrong, it benefits but one, or only a few, while causing harm to another. When a wrong is purposely committed, it is because the light has been blocked in the person committing it. Because the light is blocked, he cannot see the true nature of the act he commits. He does not perceive it as wrong. As we become more conscious, more light is able to permeate our mind and flood us with understanding. A new concept to our habitual way of thinking is often referred to as a light bulb being switched on.
Sometimes things happen that we immediately label as wrong, bad, or evil. From there, we want to find someone or something to blame. We conclude that we are a victim and that which caused the wrong (we believe) is bad. When the grasshoppers devastate our garden, we consider them to be bad. If a tornado shreds our home, or a river floods our streets, we call this bad luck. When a forest fire rips through our neighborhood or our business disappears in a mudslide, we see the events as terrible tragedies. But, the grasshoppers are only doing what grasshoppers do. They are feeding (on the monoculture we provided for them) to grow and to produce their young. Tornadoes are a frequent occurrence and sometimes, by chance, we happen to be sitting in their path. Floods, hurricanes, fires , avalanches, and volcanoes are nothing more than the earth doing what the earth has always done. A couple of months ago, I accidentally stepped on a large ant pile at the side of my yard, creating a large impression in the shape of my boot. I am certain that this caused the ants some stress and inconvenience; but within a week or two, they had rebuilt it to its perfectly rounded contour. We are millions of species and weather patterns living on a relatively small planet. Sometimes, we get in each other’s way.
COVID19 is one of hundreds, perhaps thousands of viruses. It is doing only what it was designed to do. In a world where life eats life and lives off of life in order that life may continue, there are going to be casualties – every moment of every day. We must be willing to see the other side of the coin. We can get caught up in labeling and caught up in fear; or we can accept what is. We can accept the changes that have been brought about. We can look for the good and take our cue from nature. Chaos causes breakdown and the subsequent rearranging from which new life begins to emerge. It allows the light to come in so that new possibilities can germinate. The phoenix rises from the ashes. What new paradigm will we create from the debris left behind in the wake of COVID19?
