Even though today is December 21, 2020, I am focusing on the beginning of the year 2021. Without forgetting that we are in the midst of a pandemic, the Coronavirus (COVID 19) outbreak. There is no doubt that 2020 will be remembered for many reasons, some negative as the hundreds of thousands who have died because of the virus, the lost jobs, and the sacrifice that lockdown has imposed on families and friends. Even church gatherings have to be transformed. For my family in particular a major event, the wedding of our daughter had to be postponed. More difficult to see were the positive outcomes. Mainly because these will need long term progress to be fully understood. The ability to communicate through electronic means, the use of the Internet, has been a lesson that will produce fruitful outcomes for years to come. Innovative ways to continue with our human experience, from commerce to worship, through online concerts have experimented with mixed results but with an overall sense of the possibilities.
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| "99.366 Winter Solstice" by HelenHates Peas is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 |
Regarding the environment, we have seen an increased awareness of the reality that the environment has been for many years abused. As cities in China were locked down air quality improved appreciably and urban wildlife increased. Almost everywhere around the world, big urban centers reported the same increase in wildlife and decrease in pollution; the environmental impact of lower human activity was without a doubt observed.
Now we are pondering about the ways in which we can go "back to normal' with the understanding the there will be a new normal. Not only the social disparity and injustice that is affecting our society have become unbearable, but the mechanisms for improving the standards of living have changed radically.
The role of government has been, once again, analyzed through the lens of objectivity (scientifically based) and of the common good. "We are in this together" has become the crying motto of those working hard to stop the pandemic. Front line workers, physicians, nurses, personnel of hospital and other care facilities, and other services like fire and police departments have now been identified as "the" important people in our society. Many of us have recognized how they should benefit from a decent living wage, well beyond what is called "the minimum wage." Many of us have recognized that in order to achieve environmental restoration we need to address the social inequities ailing our society.
The questions we must ask are:
What now?
What is my role in this change?
How can I prepare myself for the task ahead of me?
With whom will I work in this endeavor?
