An Open Letter to PANDEMIC
Dear PANDEMIC,
You’re back. But this time it’s different.
You came in 1918 as the Spanish Flu, infected one-third of us and killed over 50 million of us. Then you vanished as fast as you came.
You returned in 1957 as the Asian Flu and killed 2 million of us. Then you were gone.
You appeared again in 2009 as H1N1 – the Swine Flu.
You infected a quarter of us and 200,000 of us died – less than the deaths
each year from the common flu.
And here you are again today as COVID-19.
Each time we call you a Pandemic. Each time we panic.
Each time you kill far less of us, and yet we panic far more.
Because you are NOT a pandemic of DEATH or even DISEASE. You are a pandemic of FEAR.
In December of 2019, that fear showed up in our media, in our stock markets, and in our every day lives… that same big fright you’ve given us today.
But you’ve been here several times and this time, we see you for who you really are:
A GLOBAL GHOST of our WORRIES, ANXIETIES and deepest FEARS.
And as with any ghost, you can only grow if we feed you.
And if we don’t, YOU DISAPPEAR.
Peace,
The Cross our only Hope!
Jesus Is Risen! Alleluia! He Is Risen indeed! Alleluia!,
– reprinted from The Marianites of Holy Cross
Submitted by Amy Smessaert