By James Kottoor
Kochi, April 8, 2020: Today the whole world is in a life and death battle against an unknown common enemy we have chosen to call COVID 19 or coronavirus.
So far, we know practically nothing about Coronavirus.
To defeat an enemy one should know its strengths and weaknesses. An army of pedestrians with bricks and stones can never hope to defeat an equestrienne battalion equipped with machine guns.
What would be the result in such an encounter? The foot soldiers would fall like flies. That is precisely what seems to happen in the world now. The latest global death toll from the coronavirus infection has crossed 82,000.
Global community
We call ourselves the global community. Are we? We are not. The principle for victory in any community is unity. United we stand, divided we fall. The only option before us is now is to “Hang together or hang separately!”
The name “Global Community” is a misnomer. We are a divided people on various counts such as religion and politics. Independent nation states try to lord over others through accumulated wealth and destructive military power. At the same time, each country faces forces that divide its people on the basis of class, caste, social, economic status and other inequalities.
No community can survive on the global, national or local levels without caring and communion of hearts and minds. What does caring communion mean? It is the readiness to support the poorest, the weakest, the wounded, the suffering, the lonely, abandoned and those on the periphery.
Selfishness and greed divide
Why do divisions exist among us? It is solely due to our selfishness and greed. We all know the eternal truth that “There is enough and more than enough in this world for everyone’s needs, but not for one’s greed!” Yet none of us are ready to help others. Without caring and sharing no united and happy community can exist. Why? “There can never be an island of affluence in a sea of misery!”
It is Marshal McLuhan, a Canadian, who coined the phrase “Global Village” which ought to have become a reality after the arrival of the internet, binding peoples and nations together. Technically it has come true but not in reality. Members of a house are the most physically close-knit community on this earth. But can a house divided against itself stand or survive?
Community without caring and sharing is what is happening today, with the world’s richest nation shouting: “America First.” Other nations may are striving silently to reach the top slot economically, socially, culturally and militarily.
We want the US and India to shine as ideal democracies where their people are not divided as Christian, Muslim or Hindu.
The model to follow is a Jew called Jesus whose flag of unity was being the Son of Man, becoming the ideal human person to unite all — believers, unbelievers, agnostics and atheists, all born of man and woman.
Lessons from Coronavirus
So what does Covid-19 teach us? The first one is the need and necessity for unity and cooperation between nations – not independence but interdependence. Secondly, we should become a community of nations with love and care so that the weakest among us can come up to our own level. We have to grow together, not at the cost of the other. If not, our selfishness would lead us to strife, war and mutual destruction.
A happy outcome of the coronavirus attack is the realization that humans are our own saviors, not invisible gods living in manmade mosques, cathedrals, churches or temples. They always remain invisible despite the frantic search of millions of diehard blind believers to find them. They have all fled from their sacred abodes that are shut and deserted with crowds forbidden to visit them.
Of no use are prayers, faith-based lip-services, rituals, processions and ablutions with waters from the Ganges or Lourdes. What will save infected humans are scientific medicines that can blunt the sharp edge of the Coronavirus. Our doctors and scientists now strive hard to develop such medicines.
Stop blame game
As our doctors and researchers toil hard to find the right medicine, our political, social or religious community leaders are busy prescribing what they honestly think would prevent or cut down deaths.
The rest of us, who are less informed, have to first stop blame game and cooperate with their well-intentioned efforts.
We are all in doubt as to what medicine or action to be taken. In such a situation, we have to desist from jumping to conclusions but follow what our enlightened reason and logic suggest or dictate.