Is it raining all over the world?

By Andrew K. Coakley

Is it just me, or does it feel as if the whole world is in mourning?

A few years ago, it would have been reasonable to conclude that it was not the entire world feeling like it was falling apart, but it was simply just my personal world that was crumbling, even as death seem to hoover like a shadow. And like the song “a rainy night in Georgia” implies, it would have been easy to assume that it was “raining all over the world”, when in fact, it was raining just in my own little world.

But the truth is, the feeling of loss, despair, hopelessness and pain is not just something only a few of us are feeling. The cold grip of death, through the sting of Covid-19 has left so many people around the world in mourning, in pain, heartbroken and confused.

The Covid-19 pandemic has touched every nook and cranny of the world, excavating lives, disrupting families, snatching away loved ones and dividing once close neighbors and family members, as the conversation about who has been vaccinated and those yet to take the jab, has expanded that thin dividing line into a broad band that’s seemingly getting wider with each passing day.

If this scourge was happening in just one corner of the world, it would have been somewhat comforting to even imagine the possibility of simply trying to relocate to another place in the world and start over. But apparently Covid-19 seems omni-present, wherever you go, there it is.

A quick scan of news feed from around the world and you will find that all commentaries seem to be the same – the latest numbers of those affected by the disease, the roller-coaster numbers of hospitalizations, the number of deaths per day, the continued drive to get people vaccinated and the latest mandates that will hopefully “convince” the unvaccinated to get vaccinated.

Somehow, someone, somewhere is convinced the best way to get us back to normal is to have a house divided. And it seems as if all it has done is redirected our anger from Covid-19, the disease and its deathly grip, and forced us to refocus on attacking each other. The mental toll that the fear of catching Covid, the lockdowns, job loss and domestic violence has been unbearable for so many. It has also been the silent killer in the midst of it all.

Perhaps the most chilling and hurtful result of this ungodly virus is that it has ripped loved ones away from us without mercy, warning or consideration. Thus far, close to five million people worldwide have died from Covid-19. In many instances, a lot of these people have died alone, afraid and without the loving touch and reassurance of loved ones standing by.

We are forced to say “good-bye” from afar.

Our social media sites that were initially designed to bring us closer together, to catch up with old friends and stay connected around the globe, has now become a streaming obituary board. The acronyms R.I.P have become standard posts flooding our timelines. In the virtual spaces where we would normally post photos of birthdays, vacations, parties, happy times and everything celebratory, now, we log on and read posts about “as we knew him” and “gone too soon”.

Now, thanks to Covid-19, we have been reduced to virtual hugs of condolences and in so many cases we are subjected to comforting our family members, friends and acquaintances through a computer screen, in a time when a physical presence is so much needed. The human touch has been lost in our grieving process.

Don’t get me wrong, the world was in pretty bad shape even before Covid-19 came along, the only difference is Covid-19 came at all of us at the same time and suddenly, we all had to try and get our footing as quickly as possible and try to make some sort of sense of what was happening around us.

We’ve tried to move on; to try and get back the life we once knew; to try and pick up from where we left off two years ago, and we have even agreed to accept “the new normal” which Covid-19 brought in with its trail of destruction.

But it seems as if moving on becomes more difficult when so many people were unable to properly say “good-bye”. It’s like coming to the end of a good book, only to find that the last chapter was unceremoniously ripped out.

Like other Believers, I’m confused by what I perceive to be God’s silence in the midst of it all. I’ve heard so many people ask the question “why has God allowed all of this to happen?” It’s a question I cannot, or perhaps, dare not answer.

I have been baffled at the fact that Covid-19 has not only shut down businesses, schools, companies, etc., but it had shuttered churches for a time. Didn’t God know that this virus would close the church doors? Surely, he would step in and save the day if just to make sure that the church doors would remain open.

But once again, I say ‘amen’, and it’s still raining in my world.

While I may still struggle with the unanswered questions, while I try to come to grips with seeing so many people I know lose their battle to this horrible virus, while I watch the economic fall out because of Covid-19 taking place around the globe, I choose to continue to hold on to my Christian faith. Even as it seems as if God himself has been silent over the past year and a half, I choose to believe that all that has happened has not gone unnoticed by the God who is the Alpha and Omega.

If there is one thing that Covid-19 has taught me is that we must live one day at a time. We must live for today. I’m thankful for each day that I can see the sunrise. Even in the midst of the uncertainty of where we presently live, I choose to live right from where I am, with what I have. I’m reminded of the saying “live each day as if it was your last, because one day, it will be.”

When will this all pass? God only knows. But one thing is certain, it cannot last forever.