A COVID CHRISTMAS

It is a COVID Christmas.  Since last December 25^th, the world as we know it has changed.  The number of deaths is staggering. Over 100 times more people have died than in the war in Afghanistan, 93 times the casualties of 9/11, 9 times more than the Korean War, 5 times more than the war in Viet Nam which lasted 20 years, almost 3 times more than WWI and it is estimated that we could exceed the number of American deaths in WW2 by the beginning of April.  Those deaths were very real to us.  Gold stars were hung in windows to honor the dead family member, the names of Viet Nam dead were listed on the evening news and the victims of 9/11 will be forever enshrined in our history.  This week the leading cause of death in our country was the coronavirus and instead of waging war against that, we are fighting each other.  

A very real part of the COVID tragedy is that the numbers have been so large that we have lost the human connection.  They are statistics and, despite the occasional human-interest story, we hide from the very real human impact and become numb.  I was falling into that trap until I decided that during the season of Advent I would pray for the victims.  Not a generic prayer for the group of all those who died but a short specific prayer for each individual who has died.  I chose to say the Hail Mary, a prayer that lasts just about 10 seconds.  At 1000 prayers a week, it would take me almost 8 years to complete and that is only if deaths stop at 400,000.  Remembering the individual made the tragedy very real.  Maybe if we were to think of the individual, we would wear the masks and act like we care.  Just an aside, there is no constitutional right to not wear a mask (look it up).  

I am so tired of people who say that these deaths are just a natural culling of the herd, “the survival of the fittest”.  Or they just shrug their shoulders and say, “It is such a small percentage of our population that it is not worth shutting down the economy.” Does that mean we should give up on cancer victims, preemies, and the elderly? Maybe the addict, the homeless or mentally ill should also be culled by natural selection.  After all, they are not the fittest either. Maybe we should be honest and admit that we have placed our desire for a restaurant meal or a visit to a nail salon above the risk of death to others?  Maybe these times are just showing how vulnerable the citizenry are in this country.  The wealthiest country in the world should not have people become homeless, go hungry or without medical care at any time, but especially during a pandemic.  It is immoral.  

The virus has highlighted the flaws of our system which have existed for decades which is in stark contrast to the message of Christmas.  Yes, as a therapist, I do admit I have far more clients suffering depression and anxiety.  Why? They feel abandoned by a government which is more focused on the righteousness of their own egos than the survival of the population.  They are depressed about going to work knowing that they will be at risk because a customer might not want to wear a mask or follow safety precautions because of their political ideology.  Maybe they work for an employer who couldn’t care less about their safety and are focused on nothing but the bottom line. They have lots to be anxious and depressed about! 

Think your depression is bad because you have to homeschool and stay out of the malls this year?  Try thinking of the millions of people who could not hold the hands of loved ones who suffered and died or those who will suffer for years with lingering health issues.  Consider the horrific strain on the frontline workers who deal with multiple deaths every day and have to deal with the families of those who pass alone.  We call them heroes and then just keep up the risky behavior.  On April 1^st we were told that deaths would be 40% less by June if people wore masks and a newer study says that 130,000 lives would be saved by February if people wore masks. That hasn’t happened and I do not understand why.  Want to honor a medical professional and the workers who keep the hospitals clean and comfortable?  Wear a mask!  They are begging you to take this seriously.  All the tributes in the world are meaningless without action!

So it is with Christmas, a meaningless time of year unless we help each other; whether it is by contributing to a food bank, reaching out to the lonely, or simply being patient and loving enough to follow safety precautions.  Wouldn’t it be a spectacular Christmas if our doctors and nurses had a few hours of downtime or if a hundred thousand families didn’t have to be worried about when or where to hold a funeral?  Maybe the greatest gift we can give this season is to show a little bit of love for our neighbor.  Regardless of your politics, if wearing a mask and avoiding crowds helps a fellow citizen, why would you not do that?

One of my favorite movies is The Christmas Carol which unfortunately seems to have a lot of parallels to 2020. It is a story about greed, self-righteous narcissism and ultimately redemption. It also reminds us that we have an opportunity to change. 

The Ghost of Christmas future offered Scrooge (and us) an opportunity. 

“I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”

May we take this Christmas season to alter the shadows of the future in a positive and loving way.  May we take to heart the birth of that Child who brought a message of love and inclusion to all.  That would truly be a gift that just keeps on giving.