Regardless of whether or not you carry a spiritual or religious conscience, quarantine has brought most of us—if not all, an unsettling discomfort. This infectious disease has infected millions and killed thousands. With this in mind, I find it essential that I provide some light and guidance on the issue, in hopes of helping at least one of you cope with all this chaos.
This quarantine is giving me the opportunity to not only focus on my self-growth but also serves as a time for me to reflect on life itself. Of course, like many things in life, it is not all that simple; rather, it is a process, in which case it takes time. I recognize that for many, this self-isolation has really hit hard, and overall, I think is negatively affecting our mental health. But we must not let it do so. I find that setting a goal for myself has made this pandemic less stressful. So instead of caving into depression, look for things to be grateful for. It is easier said than done, but I have full faith that this will all be over soon.
We all have that special someone or idea of something that drives us to be great. Personally, my faith in God is what gives me the strength to keep going, but this does not mean that it has to be yours as well. You do not need to believe in a god in order to have strength! Strength comes from within and so does self-motivation, so just know that it is okay to have a mindset different from my own.
Given our current situation though, I have found Bible verses to be helpful in my understanding of all this; even if it has been a bit difficult to accept. When looking at it, I see this in light of God wanting to warn us. “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by” (New International Version, Isaiah 26:20). It describes our current state of not being able to leave the house unless absolutely necessary and when doing so, we must wear protective gear. These are precautions we must take to prevent getting the virus and passing it on to others.
Another verse from the Bible that had me in absolute dismay is: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 of my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (New International Version, 2 Chronicles 7:13-14). This one especially spoke volumes to me because it has been my theory all along. The way I see it, COVID-19 is a consequence of failing to keep our earth clean! Humans have become selfish and careless, so as a result, God is aggressively teaching us a lesson.
It is not easy to hear but it makes sense when you think about it and we should also look at this from a positive point of view. There have been improvements in our environment that probably would have never happened without this pandemic, so in some ways, we should be thankful.
According to Global News, now that there is “less human traffic in the world, animals are coming back into spaces that are usually overpopulated,” as well as now having “a reduction of air pollution, and an acceleration of closure of holes in the ozone layer.” The air pollution in places like China has also “shrunk thanks to closed factories, reduced capacity power plants, and fewer cars on the road” according to DW News. Additionally, water in many areas that were once “dull and murky because of the many boats,” is now suddenly “clear” said DW News.
If having to choose between happiness and sadness, I choose happiness. It is normal to be upset about COVID-19 for it has ruined everyone's plans, but not all plans are meant to go accordingly. I would be lying if I said that I was not frustrated before too, but I am not anymore. I have learned to accept it and move on, and I highly suggest you all do the same.
Everything happens for a reason and dwelling on the fact that we can not go outside 24/7 is not going to change anything. So instead of pessimism, I choose optimism. Now the real question is, what do you choose?
