Pandemic lessons: Freedom is based in community

For the first time I saw real smiles, mouths and teeth. The last person I knew who saw this many smiles was my amazing dentist. Not only did I see genuine smiles and happiness, I also saw how desperate we had been for a sense of community again. As the music at Mass resonated throughout the church, you could feel the spirit of the participants soar with it. It was one of the best Sundays I have ever had. It was also a reminder of how much we need each other.

How often we live with the illusion that “I can do it myself.” How often do we rationalize this bizarre idea that “I am a free agent that doesn’t need to listen to or receive help from anyone.” If this pandemic proved anything, it debunked that notion once and for all. What the pandemic reminded us as a faith community is that freedom and the notion of freedom is always based in community. The reality of human life and faith-life is that we need each other in more ways than we can ever imagine.

I believe that one of the reasons we are so successful today fighting the pandemic is because of the heroes who demonstrated what community and compassion were all about. Heroes who served to the point of sacrificing their lives for their communities. How many doctors, nurses and front-line workers gave their lives to keep us safe even as a few people raged against the notion of having to sacrifice anything. We need to remember that those who teach us about freedom and community will be the ones remembered and honored far into the future. Sometimes a hero acts in a very simple way.