New normal signals rebirth

It’s Easter Sunday today and we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Lord, risen from the dead. In this time of crisis, Easter Sunday has taken a more significant meaning to people all over the world as we await our own resurrection from the coronavirus pandemic with our faith in God to see us through. 

When the crisis is over, will we ever be the same again? What will be the new normal? Will it be anything like how we were before? Surely, this crisis has opened our eyes to different realizations which will remain in our consciousness the rest of our lives. Here are 10 of those realizations.

• Love of family. With the lockdown, we’re rediscovering what it’s like to spend quality time bonding with our family. We may have forgotten the warmth of family with our busy schedules and preoccupation with work before the crisis. But now, we realize how important love of family is in our lives.

• Care for others. The sacrifice of first responders, frontliners, doctors, nurses, health care staff, volunteers, military, policemen, security guards, service providers, government officials and community workers has brought the world together in admiration, appreciation and adulation. This will make better people out of all of us.

• Spiritual reawakening. Confronted by an abstract and unforgiving enemy, we rely on God to keep us strong, to give us hope and to inspire our faith. We’re praying for Divine guidance now more than ever. We’re glued to our TV sets listening to the Word of God through daily Christian services. Our thirst for God’s wisdom is unlike never before. 

• Unity. Now is the time to lock arms, join forces and show strength in numbers. Government is doing its best to alleviate the plight of all in this crisis. Let’s support the initiatives of our leaders. Forget politics for the moment. Those in power and authority should show sincere concern for their constituents and not use this situation to profit or gain political mileage.

• Wealth is worthless. The virus doesn’t choose whom it will infect, whether rich or poor. The wealthy will end up like the poor in the end. Nobody takes anything accumulated on earth to the after-life. This crisis teaches those who have more in life to share and live selflessly.

• Business leaders show heart. How inspiring that the country’s business leaders are stepping up to give to those in need. This isn’t the time to protect bottom lines. It’s the time to give back, to prove life isn’t about making profits all the time but about sharing love. 

• Never take things for granted. We’re realizing how much we miss spending quality time with family, sports, going outdoors, watching movies and doing good work in our jobs. When we’re back to normal, we’ll cherish those things a lot more.

 • Awareness of health protocols. It takes a lot of discipline, self-control and sacrifice to abide by health standards. In this crisis, we’ve realized the importance of washing hands, maintaining social distance, wearing protective masks or face shields and observing hygienic practices in coughing or sneezing. Perhaps, standards won’t be as strict when it’s back to business as usual but we will have learned how to discipline ourselves in good or bad times.

• Appreciation of those who serve. If, before the crisis, we didn’t think much of the grocery baggers or the pharmacist dispensing medicine from prescriptions or the bank teller or the lineman making sure our power is intact or the waterman keeping our tap running or the baker giving us bread or the telecoms serviceman maintaining our internet and juicing our cellphones, now, we’re appreciating how much we owe all of them a big debt of gratitude. They sacrifice to serve and we should realize the important role they play in our lives.

• Value of life. Our stay on earth is temporal. Thousands have lost their lives in this pandemic, some of them in the line of duty, in the service of others. While on earth, this crisis has made us realize that what we have is just as temporal as our lives, that we should make the most of our stay on the planet by giving of ourselves and protecting our environment. As a consolation, the pandemic has cleaned the air of pollution. We’ve learned that there are many things we can do to protect Mother Earth. 

For sure, we will all be enlightened and reawakened persons after this crisis. Our resurrection will come and when it does, we will celebrate to make the world a much better place to live in. On Easter Sunday, we rejoice in the Lord’s glory and pray for God’s protection in this pandemic.