By Varghese Alengaden

Indore, March 21, 2020: The world has suffered from epidemics of different types, natural disasters and manmade tragedies of communal violence and terrorism.

These tragedies, epidemics, wars and calamities affected a particular country or a few countries of a region at a particular time. However, they did not ravage the whole world at the same time as the Coronavirus pandemic is doing now.

When China was first affected by the Coronavirus and people died in Wuhan, other countries took it as an ordinary epidemic that affected a particular region of China far away from them. In China 6,287 people were infected and 3,132 killed.

Nobody was realized the seriousness of the new virus that is faster and more powerful than any missile used in the modern warfare. Even after other countries detected the signs of the virus they took it as an ordinary health problem. The powerful developed countries were proud and complacent of their advanced medical and scientific facilities.

By the time the virus spread crossing boundaries and flew across the oceans the powerful countries too stumbled before the ruthless invasion of the Coronavirus.

Within a couple of days the deadly virus captured all the fifty states of America and killed 252 people as per the information available on March 21. In Italy, out of the 47,021 people infected 4,032 lost their lives. With a week more than 1,000 died in Spain; In France 12,612 people were infected and 450 died. In Iran, 19,644 were infected and 1,433 lost their lives. Confirmed cases in India, as on March 21, stood at 275 with five dead.

What do we learn from Covid 19?

First, missiles and bombs cannot protect super power countries.

Powerful countries were proud of the sophisticated missiles and aircrafts which could attack the enemy countries. They were sure of protecting their land, sea and sky with their technology. By possessing the advanced science and technology they thought that they could control the world. With nuclear bombs they could dictate the weak and poor nations.

Corona virus has humbled all the mighty rulers and counties. They are not able to save their people from the invisible enemy who is invading every nook and corner of their country. They need to realize that there is something more powerful than all the wealth, military might and technological development. In all humility man has to learn to respect both nature and all beings on earth.

Humans have to admit the truth that every achievement of theirs is a manifestation of the almighty God’s glory. They need to thank God, the creator of the universe for all the developments. All countries and their rulers should admit that they are only trustees of God’s gifts. They should accept the truth that all the resources which are at their disposal are for the whole humanity and they are duty bound to share them for the good of all. Greed, accumulation and exploitation of the weak are against the plan of God.

Second, the need to close religious industry and end marketing God.

When I wrote a song in Hindi twenty years ago calling to “stop the business of religion and making God a commodity for sale” orthodox people of all religions severely criticized me. Instead of bowing down before their bullying I went on writing a few more songs lambasting the hypocrisy of priestly class who run the religious shops selling the drug of religion.

During the retreats based on the life and teachings of Christ for religious and priests I always ask a question to them, “Did Jesus ever took time for community prayer with his disciples?” All of them get shocked by this question. When I go head to explain to them that Jesus was against all kinds of loud and long prayers in public they were not ready to accept my argument. Gradually when they read the teaching of Christ in the Gospel where he asks His disciples to pray silently inside their rooms alone without shouting in public they start reflecting. “When you pray don’t be like the hypocrites ….. do not use many words…..when you pray , go to your room , close the door and pray …” (Mt 6: 5-6).

We think that contemplation is left to some monks in the forests. Churches and business houses of retreat centers continued their business of shouting as if God was deaf. It took 2000 years and a whip of Coronavirus to close churches and worship places of all religions to follow the teachings of Christ. When the churches, temples, pilgrim centres of all faith were closed the teachings of Christ ,”….. worship God in truth and spirit” became a reality.

As the current forced discipline ends, the worshipping God in truth and spirit and contemplating on the essence of spirituality will also stop. As soon as Coronavirus leaves, the priestly class will bring back gods and start screaming through the latest sound system.

During the days of disaster and suffering, humans forget their petty identities and work with the realization that all are humans. The ‘we feeling’ which our Indian Constitution pledges, “We the people…..” is made real and practical. Once the tragedy is over, the demon of small identities and ego would replace the “God in spirit and truth” and “We the people…” feeling. People then will have to wait for another epidemic or pandemic to shut down the religious shops.

The Coronavirus should awaken the God within us. Instead of looking for God in the manmade temples, churches, mosques and other worship places each one of us should be in touch with the all-powerful God within. Once we realize that God is within, we will be free from all kinds of anxiety. We shall have the conviction, “If God is with me who can be against me?” We shall believe, “I can do everything in Him who strengthens me.” We will keep up our energy and enthusiasm in life and death alike.

The closing of worship places and the absence of long noisy prayers should provide an atmosphere and opportunity to have conversation with God and introspection into our own lives. This will lead us into genuine spirituality which will enable us to respond to social issues and express solidarity with the fellow beings. Once we reinvent ourselves and are freed from the drug of religious rituals we will be constantly in communion with God even in the middle of any pandemic disaster because God is not locked up in the custody of business houses of priests and godmen.

Common people of all faiths will be more spiritual when they are free from the control of priestly class who appoint themselves as defenders of God. People do not require contractors and travel agents to reach God. The Coronavirus has proved this by shutting down variety of religious shops. People, who are now in contemplation and personal study, would discover God within their body, the living temples.

Another lesson is to engage in enthusiastic service of others.

Earthquakes, tsunami, epidemic and pandemic like Corona virus are not in our control. Hundreds of people die in accidents and sudden illness. Death is a reality and certainty. We do not have control of the time and place of meeting death. What is in our control is the way to live our lives. We can choose our priorities, values, activities and relationships. We do not have any choice to decide the time, place and the manner of our death. However we have a choice for what cause we should live. We can choose how we use our time, talents, wealth and other resources.

If I die today for what should people remember about me? How many people should remember me? How long should they remember me? These questions will provide us focus, values and right priorities. The words of Martin Luther King Junior are relevant here, “If you have not identified the cause for which you have to die, you have no reason to live.”

The pandemic asks us to chase away man made deadly virus of hatred, revenge, insensitivity and discrimination.

The quarantine forced on us by the Coronavirus, away from social engagements and hectic schedule, is the most fitting time to contemplate about other deadlier viruses that have brought more destruction and death in the world – the viruses of hatred, violence, revenge and discrimination. Over the centuries how many human lives were lost because of religious and ethnic conflicts? This virus breaks out often all over the world and takes millions of lives

This virus claims millions of lives our country from time to time, starting with the partition in 1947. It struck us in 1984 (Sikh riots), 1992 (Ayodhya turmoil), 2002 (Gujarat), 2008 (Kandhamal, Odisha) and 2020 in Delhi.

The Coronavirus may have no vaccine, but hatred, revenge, discrimination and violence can be healed only by God. It is ironic that the deadly viruses of hatred, revenge and destruction are planted by those who worship the gods and build temples and churches.

Virus of insensitivity

As our country struggles to contain the Coronavirus, hardly anyone thinks of 7,000 Indians who die daily because of Tuberculosis. Nobody pays attention to this because the victims are the poor. Another 7000 Indians die of hunger every day. Around 3,000 children die of malnutrition daily in India. They are killed by the virus of insensitivity that has infected us and our rulers.

(Father Varghese Alengaden is the founder director of Indore-based Universal Solidarity Movement.)