Searching for faith amidst a pandemic
I’m living in a time that I never imagined would or could happen in my lifetime. For everyone, most constant activities have ground to a halt. Many people live in fear of going outside. Plans are disrupted, priorities like time spent with loved ones and caring for one another come to the fore. Uncertainty rears its head at every corner you turn. It’s distressing, and we long for clarity not only about how the pandemic can end, but also about whether there are things to truly enjoy when all around us there are only dire sighs from strangers stood outside at a distance. This is an ironic time for anyone seeking faith. I have friends who have reclaimed nuggets of their Buddhist or Taoist upbringing in this trying time: reflecting on ways to live a good and flourishing life amidst the suffering by living at peace with others and with the world around us; some reaching out to a hope of reincarnation or a final state of being promised in those teachings. I also know of people who have t...