Editors note: I originally wrote this in March. This is part one of a multi-part series of the lessons I have been learning during COVID-19. Hopefully this will be helpful to you in some capacity.
Escapism. COVID-19 is here. The world feels upside down, and you can’t get away from what seems like something out of a fiction novel when you turn on the news or open social media. Death. Destruction. Loss. Uncertainty. Anxiety. Fear.
Is it just me, or do you lately wish you could just get away from it all? Reality seems cruel. Isolation is strange. Whether it be watching too much TV, watching porn (according to statistics brought to you by the amazing organization Fight the New Drug - since COVID-19, there has been an unfortunate 11.6% worldwide increase in porn consumption), overindulging in food / booze, drug use (according to the National Institute of Health, there has also tragically been a spike in overdoses during this time of self-quarantining and social distancing) — people are trying to “get away” somehow. Escapism.
This isn’t a judgment, this is a wake-up call. I am also guilty. For example, I watched the entirety of Ozark season 3 and Tiger King in one day. I ate approximately 2 quarts of ice cream in 9 days. None of this is healthy. We’re seeking things that might bring comfort temporarily. To not feel for a minute. To forget our loneliness. To “forget” about what’s happening for a minute. Escapism.
The insanity of COVID-19 has pointed some glaring flaws within our society—whether it be greed, our ill-equipped healthcare system (this is NOT a slight to healthcare WORKERS. Y’all are amazing, the SYSTEM is not), the RAPIDLY growing socioeconomic divide in America, our disregard for others / the less fortunate, the list goes on...and this is just the beginning. There is no concrete “end date”. No one is sure what will happen, let alone how long this could take. Some days my heart just can’t take anymore. I want out. Escapism.
This is reality, though. We have to face it. We can’t escape anymore. Now is the time to bring light to the darknesses of society. To stand up for what is right. To help others. To see the humanity of the less fortunate. To fight greed (even in ourselves). To fight systematic racism and white supremacy. To DO SOMETHING. It isn’t hard. Do a Google search. Make phone calls. See what you can tangibly do while keeping others / yourself safe. That doesn’t mean you need to “just stay positive!” though.
As a Christian, I wish there was an easy answer to the great mystery of suffering. I wish and hope for a day where it would stop. But I’m not here to spread vapid platitudes, pretend I know all the answers, or dismiss hurt I’m seeing. Sometimes things just plain suck. For some reason, Western/American Christianity has equated a life with God to walking on rose pedals, farting sun rays, and being happy all the time. We have forgotten about the art of LAMENT. Psalm 6, Psalm 10, and Psalm 22 (just to name a few) help us remember to cry out to God in our anguish, loneliness, and sorrow.
LAMENT is an acknowledgment of “this isn’t how it is supposed to be.” LAMENT helps us process our frustration/pain in a healthy way by being honest with God about our emotions. God can take it, and cares DEEPLY about how we feel. Let it all out. Once we give our sorrow to God, we’re often relieved slightly. God is heartbroken WITH us when suffering occurs.
As the divine work of the restoration of ALL things continues, may we remember the art of LAMENT. As we lament, God will continually give us strength to carry on. It’s ok to LAMENT. We can’t escape anymore.