“The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armor against Fate;
Death lays his icy hand on kings;
Scepter and crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spa — (By James Shirley)
Corona Virus, popularly known as Covid 19, has been rampaging the world in all spheres of human life: Health, Economy, Religion and Spirituality since December 2019 unabated, challenging the medical and scientific communities to put up any defense against it. A world that seemed so secure with its cultural, economic and scientific achievements has fallen in a wink of an eye, like a pack of cards. The global village has been turned into a “huge cemetery”, “the land of silence” with “dreamless heads”, yet to find a place to bury the dead. The wind of death blew from “Wuhan” of China, the land of Atheism and Communism to the heart of Christianity, Italy. No one knows for sure of the origin of this Virus whether it was “manmade” or “nature made”.
It is interesting to note that “Corona” as its name stands to mean “Crown”, is still used to place on the head of the dead body, mainly by the Syrian Christian, was born at Christmas 19 and spread out her canopy of shroud by Easter 20. For the first time in the history of the Church, the Churches were closed down and Easter could not be celebrated with the Faithful. In the midst of untold miseries of mankind, many social and political scientists come out with their strategies to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy, hoping against the hope, in the spheres of geo-political and geo-economic arena. It is high time that the Church leaders should think on “geo-spiritual” aspect which in my reflection is the “core of the present crisis”.
The role of Virus in human life
Virus is a word of Latin origin from which the English, “virulent” has a root. The existence of Virus is as old as humanity itself. Where there is “Life, (Vita/viva”,) there will be “virus”. It is like day and night. We cannot think of or conceive an idea of “light” without an idea of “darkness”. If “light is powerful”, the darkness will be vanished and vice-versa. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it” Jn.1,3) In a similar way, if the “life force” or “immunity” is powerful, the virus will not be able to “enter into our cells”.
In this sense, “virus is the double edged sword”. Immunity in the body is not made in a day as the maxim goes, “Rome is not built in a day”. The immunity of body is ever in fight with the virus from the environment. Hence, Virus is the agent of death (sin, Satan) and Immunity, the agent of Life. This “Life Force” is tested and proved in the presence of Virus. In this sense, Virus is a friend of man. But, when the “evil force of virus” is more powerful than that of the “life force”, Virus becomes victorious as the agent of death. Life force is nothing but “Love”, a source of “positive energy” and virus is “Negative energy”. “Those who live in Love, live in God”. (Letter of John), for “God is Love” “Jesus further said, “I am the life of the world” and “I came that you may have life and life abundantly”.
As a matter of fact, “Immunity of the body” is not merely the result of nutritious food, clean environment and physical exercise, rather, the virus surrounding has a big role to play. I noticed during my college days in Mumbai those ‘rag-pickers’ in the slum, despite exposed to dirty environment, seldom were affected with any diseases. I, on the other, if ever, ate a little food or water from outside, my stomach got upset, for I was too used to eat clean food and drink boiled water. With the slogan of “Swatch Bharat”, the slums are today raised into flats. Too much cleanliness is as dangerous as too much dirt. There should be a healthy balance between dirt and cleanliness, order and disorder. What a concept of order of Beauty without disorder?? In other words, whether, health, economy or politics, there should be an “Opposition” which is not prevailed in our socio- political life under the totalitarian reign or Majocracy. (Democracy of, for and by the Majority) For a better “Biological Immunity: the body needs ever in a fight or struggle with the opposing force. In this sense, Darwin is true to discover the theory of ‘Evolution’ which is based on the ‘Survival of the fittest’.
It is the same case with ‘Spiritual Immunity”. Many a temptation will be there in our surrounding especially in our era of Advertisement, communication technologies and Life-styles. If our spiritual Immunity is poor, the ‘Techie-virus’ will capture our hearts, even without producing any symptoms, just as the Corona works in majority in India. Here, comes the importance of wearing a “spiritual mask” of being “ever vigilant”, not to lead us to “temptations”.
As we know, there is too much of “social cleanliness” in the Western countries including the U.S. So, their body is not used to fighting much virus around. if any powerful virus enters into the body, it will subdue them faster comparing to those living in Asia or Africa.
Spiritual Immunity of the Church
While the Nations of the world care so much for the physical Immunity, the mental immunity of man is not taken care of. And no wonder, crime, sexual aberrations, suicide and mental patients are rampant. The ‘Mental Immunity’ helps a person to “resist” any “crisis” that threatens his Spiritual existence. We see how Jesus develops such “mental immunity” to “resist” in the Temptation story in Luke, prior to his public ministry. The mental Immunity to “hold on” in the midst of impending threat, in the religious language, it could be termed, “Faith or Confidence” and hence the expression, “self- confidence”. Love lit the fire of “positive energy” which one receives from the parents in the childhood that in later life becomes the “life force” or “spiritual Immunity”. Hence, St. Paul says, “Faith, Hope and Love and the Greatest of these is LOVE’. The role of Religion is to “foster this love into maturity” to make one “stand on his own feet” when the life-boat is tossed on the sea.
The Nations of the world, often, not understanding the term ‘Secularism’ in its original meaning, gives least importance to “spiritual growth of man”. On the other, they try to subdue Religion and spirituality, and if possible subvert the very religious institutions as in the case of China today. While they uphold “secularism” as the Bible, the very Bible is burned and symbol of cross and for that case, any other religious symbols is removed. As a result, the young generation grows up in ‘materialism devoid of spirit of God’ and their “indulgence in goods and services” to produce “maximum pleasure”(hedonists) renders the earth and ecology, the Himalayan peak of filth and dirt, giving rise to all “kinds of Virus” with its mutational genre.
The very etymology of ‘Secularism’ on the other, has originated from the word, “ secula” (Latin) which means “ lasting forever “ or “ for ever and ever”, as used in the Latin Rite Mass. As the word stands for, it is the duty of the governments to “ put spirit of God in the material development of the state in such a way that they many not interfere and respect the freedom of religion is protected and strengthened. For man, unlike animals, is composed of “body(soma), mind (psyche) and soul (nous). It is a wrong belief that if body is developed by nutritional food and exercise, the immunity could be developed. The state gives more importance for the development of body only through its “welfare state” while neglecting the “mind and soul”. These days, due to anti- social behaviors of men and the increasing number of suicide and mental diseases, some measures are taken to alleviate the mind through mental clinics, counselling and change of approach in the education of the young etc. Till now, the spiritual development (Soul), which is the “core” of human integrity is neglected.
As I already mentioned above, the nature of Covid 19, as a “double sharpened sword”, may deviate from the faith and love that one had or may “draw back to God with more faith and intensity”, depending upon the “spiritual Immunity of man”. The one whose spiritual immunity is not mature enough, he may question the very existence of God and Church. The Church that taught “obligation of Sunday Mass” and “Easter Services” as an “absolute value” may find hard to convince the Faithful of the very “Immunity of the Church”. The Church may hinge on the words of Jesus, “Man is not made for Law, but Law is made for man” which may not satisfy a disturbed mind.
If you search a bit more deeply, Covid taught man “to sacrifice his liberty that he enjoyed until the eve of Corona break out, to create a new “space to save his fellow man’s life” which in a society of “Individualism”, he was not ready for. The people in many European countries were not ready to accommodate this intense “Locked down” and hence, in Netherlands, the government put it as “Intelligent locked down” leaving the choice to the public. Such was the depth of “individualism”. Jesus said, “No love is greater than that a man lay down his life for his friends”. In this sense, “physical distancing” (not social distancing) brought about an “interior social communion”.
Corona had no discrimination on the basis of Caste, color, gender, creed or social status. It could affect Pope, Prince or Prime Minister It followed the principle of “socialism” and “true Catholicism” which both the Church and the Nations of the world failed in many respects. Of course, no utopian egalitarianism is possible in Church and society as each man is created ‘unique’ and hence, difference is a reality to be appreciated, yet an intrinsic egalitarianism of being children of God is to be practiced.
In the context of Corona and many more pandemics and natural calamities in the days to come that may diminish the spiritual immunity of man, the Church in its catechism should strengthen the and deepen the Faith. Jesus said, “those who try to save his life will lose it and those who lose his life for his sake will find it”. Further he said, “unless a grain of wheat dies and decay, it cannot produce any fruit…”. The modern generation seeks for a life-style without being able to carry any Cross. It is only by “carrying the cross, the spiritual, mental and physical immunity is strengthened”.
Church is not merely an Institutional hierarchy, rather the “embodiment of the mystical body of Christ bound up in LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE OF NEIGHBOR’, a servant hierarchy with her Royal Spirituality of simplicity, humility, justice, sharing and all the values of the kingdom that Jesus lived and stood for. May the Risen Lord help the people of God and governments of the Nations of the world to revive, renew and strengthen the “Integral Immunity of man” viz. body- mind-spirt to face the “crosses” coming on the way.
(NB. “majocracy” is a personal coinage which you may not find in any Dictionarry)