Resurrection and Our Coronavirus Times

Recently, in response to my DM’s on resurrection, Easter, and our current coronavirus emergency, I received a tweet from a reader in the UK who asked  “Why the current situation does indeed bring a resurrection?”  

I believe it brings resurrection if it wakes people up to:

1) Our interdependence–which is much deeper than our apartness or differences;

2) Learning not to take basics for granted such as good health–and the health of our planet;

3) Honoring the good work that people do and can do when they get themselves trained to serve;

4) The holes in our so-called ‘safety-nets’ and how to remedy them;

5) Getting out of denial about climate change, which will make this pandemic seem like  a picnic compared to the changes to come if we don’t change deeply in the next 9 years;

6) How we can all live more simply on this planet;

7) How we ought to celebrate more deeply while we are healthy;

8) How we can–when we have to–take radical life-changing decisions as a group and must do re. climate change bearing down on us;

9) How much generosity and willingness to sacrifice resides in the human heart–a lot more than we are often aware of;

10) Lessons in how precious life and existence are for all of us born of the 13.8 billion years of the Universe’s unfolding;

11) How thanks and gratitude are in order in response to the awesomeness of our being here;

12) How courageous we can be as individuals and as teams when we need be;

13) The courageous and generous and magnanimous person that exists inside each of us (can we bring it alive without a plague among us?);

14) How sacrifice is a very good thing in many instances (parents know this on an almost daily basis but can readily forget it);

15) How generosity DOES exist! 

16) How some people do prefer necrophila (love of death) to biophilia (love of life) and are dangerous to be around, as they wrap themselves in denial and ideological excuses for their denial;

17) How we awaken to our capacities to enlarge our souls by way of mysticism and prophetic action acting in conjunction with sound science;

18) Whether it returns us to our Source, however we define that, to recharge us and ground us and connect us to what matters.

If it awakens us to our common humanity and interdependence and both diversity and sameness of our colorfully different religious/spiritual traditions that would constitute a wonderful Resurrection. 

Today marks the first day of Ramadan—which will be, as Passover and Easter were for Jews and Christians, something different. 

Notice that a tiny being we call coronavirus, instructs us in our vulnerability.  

It does not distinguish between Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhist, atheists or others.  In the presence of creation, all humanity is one.  And vulnerable.  And needy.

Blessed Ramadan to all!

See Matthew Fox, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times, pp. 167-172.

Banner Image: Activists around the world display signs on Instagram and Twitter for Digital Fridays for Future: “For the climate crisis and the COVID-19 crisis, our scientists have been ignored, with actions not in line with the science. We call on our governments to #ActOnScience to save lives in both the COVID-19 crisis and the climate crisis #DigitalStrike#ClimateStrikeOnline“

Queries for Contemplation

Which of these resurrections referred to mean the most to you? 

What additional examples of resurrections would you add to this list of 18?

Recommended Reading

The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times

A stunning spiritual handbook drawn from the substantive teachings of Aquinas’ mystical/prophetic genius, offering a sublime roadmap for spirituality and action.
Foreword by Ilia Delio.
“What a wonderful book!  Only Matt Fox could bring to life the wisdom and brilliance of Aquinas with so much creativity. The Tao of Thomas Aquinas is a masterpiece.”
–Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit