Month: Mar 2020

My mind has been in a fever since the onset of the virus has become imminent and its impact apparent.

This swift pandemic has inflicted on us a horror and stupefying paralysis.

We who have traditionally been the ones to take up arms to defend against enemies must stay away, hiding from the enemy who can pick us off if we wander at large. It might make sense but it is very bruising.

Could you ever imagine that a mother in her late 60’s, a veteran of 50 years’ service would be in the frontline to battle the deadly enemy? Like a professional soldier, she donned her uniform and drove to work unflinching.

My offer of a Blessed Michael the Archangel candle to light on the desk of her trench was rebuffed. I reeled away from begging her to stay. Duty and service trumps all.

Tomorrow and tomorrow, she and her brave colleagues will again step up onto the firestep and again do battle with the invisible enemy who is here amongst us and at our doorsteps.

We will need a wider memorial day, a global thanksgiving for our healthcare workers. Pray for them and make way for them.

There is a film with that name in which a terribly sad situation engenders attempts at kindness and support. It is not a great movie despite its sentiment.

In my pre-slumber mental rambles after watching part of it, I wondered if collateral beauty would exist without sadness, wickedness and evil, or vice versa.

Would there be courage and compassion, sacrifice and love without evil acts?

Is finding collateral beauty how we cope with horrible events? Or is collateral evil our defence – how can we defy it?

Despite being raised on legends of courage, bravery and compassion from the early 20th century, I struggle to find collateral beauty on comparative scale to the atrocities of the time. Can we even say the world is a better place?

What is required to preserve decency and repulse evil? Most of us are not brave and we are addicted to self-indulgence.

It is far easier to look away. Coronavirus will be a test for most people.

KFC anyone? Shut up and take my money!

I think the KFC type message is a good one – don’t dwell on disaster, move on. There will never not be rainbows….