FAITH & REASON IN THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC

FAITH & REASON IN THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC

Through the springing of our collective effort, there has been a sea-change in global awareness and scientific emphasis since the Coronavirus Pandemic began.  The less-desirable attributes of our society, such as tribalism and uninformed assumption, are less tolerated than they were a month ago. All eyes are as peeled as the layers of this complex and rapidly-changing onion. However, spirituality during the COVID-19 public health crisis many times leans to those less-desirable attributes which are counterintuitive to communal faith and the gift of reason.

Flooding our feeds are memes with a lazy sense of abandon to God (who already gave us the gifts to handle it ourselves), crocodile leaders crying that the virus is a hoax against their golden idol or a selective punishment to other children of God, and evangelical high-horsing of all sorts. If these shallow oxymorons are repulsive to you, think of the people in desperate need of faith searching for the intersection between physical preservation and metaphysical reassurance. It's unlikely the "poor in spirit" are gobbling up that hubristic righteousness. It distracts us from being closer to each other while maintaining a rational 6" of distance.

Wisdom for situations that require spiritual faith combined with public action (or inaction) comes from all religions across the world. If I had the time to boil the the ocean, I would reference the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, the Pali Canon, and the Torah in addition to the Bible to show universal examples of communal faith and reason. Instead, this is a simple list of 3 light bulbs that may help us find the cross between spiritual peace and collective awareness:

1.) Resist confirmation bias; Seek the Source and the Truth

This is a public health crisis. Instead of trusting an easy word, seek out and share credible facts from the communities who live everyday to address a public health crisis: the CDC & WHO, the epidemiologists, the virologists, the healthcare providers. I have no doubt that God is present in their work. Put a little extra work in actually reading the bills on the government websites written by our public officials before you regurgitate what your cotton-candy cable news network ranted. I truly believe that most politicians want to see this end with the public health intact but I'm also aware of their agendas and incentives. We all would do better to understand the questions better than when we had the answers. Doesn't it make sense to seek the truth from the source and follow the judgement of those best gifted by God for this pandemic?

"The need is emphasized for more rigorous evaluation of epidemiology/observation studies to avoid bias-led errors and repetition of past mistakes and ensure correct medical information." - - Reynold Spector, MD, Pharmacologist/Biochemist
"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding" -- Proverbs 2:1-2
"Teach me knowledge and good judgement, for I trust your commands." -- Psalm 119:66

2.) Don't be afraid; Do the right things

Yes, the perfect storm of a variant incubation period, easy transmission, and high severity/mortality rate makes this a very scary bug. When the terrible happens, people listlessly say "God has a plan" or "There is a reason for everything."  It implies that God did not give us the gift of free will so why not just let the Charon coins fall where they may.

What if God's plan, the reason why challenging times happen, is to bring us closer to Him and to each other?  If so, then we still have agency; the free will to choose the correct path of communion. And God keeps giving us choices until we get it right. Taking wide-spanning precautions, resisting the urge to hoard resources, actively caring for each other's welfare, healing our bodies, and educating the misinformed with compassion are all promising indications that we are choosing God's plan for us. I'm reassured by the efforts of the human collective to flatten the curve and comforted by the belief that God is present in our actions.

"The uninformed stay home and pray they are never infected with COVID-19, whereas the knowledgeable stay home and prepare the body for a possible future fight with the killer virus." -- Steven Magee, Radiation/Human Health Expert
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." -- 1 Timothy 1:7
"But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!"" -- Matthew 14:27

3.) Prevent a shutdown of the heart; Prepare for a new world

Are we so waiting for this to end that we're missing the opportunity to open our hearts right now? All indications point to April being a deadly and evolutionary month for our nation. The Bubonic Plague revolutionized hospitals by specializing medicine in Europe. The overhaul of our public health system will come with COVID-19.  During this disruption, we have a chance to rally around our healthcare workers and help them in the care of patients. Are we planning to give compassion and support to those who will be forever changed by the peak of this pandemic?

Even if we don't have the same constitution as our doctors and nurses to fight this war, we still have no excuse to close our hearts to those around us.  Technology and extra time at home make it possible for us to reach out more to our loved ones. I also don't believe that this Great Global Pause during Lent is a coincidence. If you're searching for spiritual answers, stop reading this blog and every other pontificating post out there. Take this time to go to a room, sit in solitude, and ask God the shit-ton of questions that weigh on you. Then sit in silence with an open heart for as long as it takes. As this material world changes, God's gift to us is the opportunity to choose Love and communal zeal over personal convenience, fear, and ignorance.

"We need an epidemic of kindness." --Ruth Faden, Bioethicist
"I think, collectively, we should be paying more attention to what is going on around us in the world among people who don't have the advantages that we have." -- Anthony Fauci, MD,
"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." -- 1 Peter 3:8

Stay safe & God bless your efforts!

38 Lessons from My 38 Years

I have always maintained that advice is mostly pertinent to the person giving it.  Yet, for me, wisdom is also preciously absorbed. This list is not a pompous lecture to people who haven't walked in my shoes.  It's just some random, bittersweet reflections neatly bundled in reverie of the age 38.

1. Happiness is a choice.

2. So is Love.

3. If you want to be more compassionate, try being homeless for a while.

4. If you want a better world, volunteer.

5. If you want a close-knit community, serve in the military.

6. Being born in America doesn't make me better than people in third-world countries.  It just makes me lucky and benighted.

7. If you want anagnorisis, serve in the Peace Corps or travel to less comfortable countries.

8. Never hesitate to act when wanderlust, infatuation, or adrenaline hits you. You'll eventually have your fill and the aftertaste from drinking its wine lingers for decades.

9. Only boring people are bored; notice & do all the fascinating things around you.

10. Find that wobbly balance between independent freedom and family loyalty.

11. Blood is thicker than water.  But life-long friends may also share the same blood-type.

12. Before you're married, your family comes first; After you're married, your wife comes first.

13. Always make sure your family and friends know that you love them.

14. The death of a loved one is a brutal punch in the gut.  But the pain eventually numbs into a sweet spaciousness.

15. Don't waste time in cemeteries unless you work there.  There are living people to visit and new memories waiting to happen.

16. Persistent work over the long-term builds character and career more than other inherent blessings like talent or beauty.

17. Your 20's should be treated like a puppy.  If you want an obedient old dog, don't have too much fun without discipline.  You don't see many self-made doctors and astronauts that wasted their young adulthood by playing around.

18. You can still "keep it real" by wearing more than one style of clothing and expressing yourself calmly in an articulate method.

19. Be humble but look good doing it.

20. Physiological security should be sought after as much as financial security.

21. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

22. But if it's edible, try it anyway.

23. I had hair when I needed it.  Embrace aging with the same pride as when you're abs were chiseled.

24. Escapism is no substitute for genuine experience with the people in your life.

25. If you don't marry, it's ok.  If you don't have children, it's ok.  But do both with proper care and attention.

26. Don't believe the defeated.  Marriage is surprisingly cool with a well-chosen spouse.

27. Weddings are for the families of the bride and groom.  A fantastic marriage should be the real focus of a couple.

28. Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda holds new meaning when I look at my bride, Natalia.

29. "So I can see a part of me that wasn't always shady" by 2Pac holds new meaning when I look at my daughter, Denali.

30. Become a feminist long before you have a daughter… or a son for that matter.

31. I want to teach my daughter the value of love, faith, spontaneity, grit, and education in that order.

32. Show the same respect for animals as you do your waiter as you do your role models.

33. Expose yourself to all disciplines and interests so you can carry a meaningful conversation with anyone.

34. Then strike a conversation with people in elevators and various modes of transportation.

35. Science and faith can be two sides of the same coin.

36. Defining God in small boxes of religious exclusivity, desire, or denial only closes our minds to God's eternal possibilities.  But even doubt can open our hearts to the immense wonder of faith.

37. I understand the questions of life better than I did when I had all the answers.

38. Life is still just beginning.

I'm filled with gratitude for everyone and all that taught me these lessons.  Here's to another 38!

The Value of Travel in Business

     There can be no doubt that employment in the United States has changed dramatically over the past decade under a challenging economic landscape.  Delayed retirements, out-sourcing, and the Technology Revolution have caused an ice-albedo effect for the next generation entering a closed workforce.  Let's not even divulge the tragic effect of celebrity fame, baffling politics, or the stigmatization of blue-collar trades on our work culture.  Yet, in anticipation of opportunities and a better understanding of the new market, our youth have become mobile and free-lancing.  Employers have noticed a common bullet-point inserted into resumes of applicants: Travel.

     With our senior generation gaining confidence in retirement and our workforce becoming more innovative, opportunities are increasing for a new generation we don't fully understand.  As we consider these applicants for internships or employment, how do we qualify travel as experience and discover respective attributes suited to our needs?  The ability to answer this question in a meaningful way to an interviewer should be the primary focus for an applicant with the courage to highlight travel on a resume.  As interviewers, we should look for travel skills that will add value to our organization: boldness, adaptability, and self-awareness.

      It's a misconception that young laborers with travel experience are vagabonds that wander superfluously.  However, the impetus to boldly explore in spite of opportunities at home is an concept more desirable than the alternative of waiting at home.  Travelers bring the quality of risk-taking to organizations that require a sense of self-determination.  Sales organizations, biotech companies, and research institutions need people that can measure risk and boldly take a chance.  In an interview, give the applicant a goal specific to your industry and ask what action he/she would take to progress towards that goal.  Most likely, the answer will be foreign and exciting to you.

       Not many situations can cause greater discomfort than following an unfamiliar path with only the bare essentials.  True travelers are experts at being off-balance in new environments and they adapt accordingly.   Former military members who have traveled overseas are the best at adaptability.  Government, technical, and small business jobs usually need this trait as they learn how to do more with less.  In an interview, give the applicant a challenging situation with very little resources and ask him/her how they would handle it.  You may be surprised at the innovative answer given.

      One of the greatest fears associated with work experience is the fear of damage-control.  We are averse to hiring people with little experience because their maturity and self-motivation is not proven.  On the contrary, travelers have proven themselves to be very self-aware in their ventures.  During their travels, they vigorously search for emotional intelligence and genuine experience. More importantly to hiring them, they are enthusiastic observationists and listeners who have learned sociocultural competencies valuable in large business, medical, and service fields.  Paul Fussel wrote that "All pathos and irony of leaving one's youth behind is thus implicit in travel."

     In summary, we can all learn from travelers the qualities of risk-taking, situational management, and open-minded growth.  While we need to be cautious about hiring the proverbial nomad, giving a young former-traveler a chance at the job-market may yield substantial benefit for our organizations.  If the traveling youth's wanderlust is any indication, their desire to succeed in the labor-force will be just as adventurous and rewarding.