What If There Isn't Any Hope At All?


Photo from: Archie Binamira "Four Toddlers form Circle"

My mind feels cluttered recently. Everywhere I look, all I see are news about the pandemic that has disturbed the entire world. How it turned into this massive crisis, I couldn’t really fathom nor could I clearly understand the intensity of its deep impact on us. I am hopeful that all these would subside soon. There are many people like me; those who hope, who believe, and who trust that there is an end to this terrible phenomenon. However, back in my head is a subtle whisper bearing an ugly truth that I try to shake away, what if there isn’t any hope at all?

It seems to me that many of us are rowing in different directions. We all face the same concern, and yet somehow, as a system, we couldn’t agree on which priority to set as we face this unseen adversary in our midst. I may have missed it somewhere along the way, but I do not feel that we have truly understood what we are up against. Guidelines are being implemented to help manage the unformidable effects of the pandemic and they have been set with an intention of protecting what we have built over the many years of our existence as social creatures – economy, livelihood, progress, businesses, order, communities, and yes, even our lives. They have never been meant to please every single person in the world, nor create a singular, individualistic benefit for the entire population of a nation. Guidelines have been set to serve as a control measure and a preventive act against the further spread of the virus, and ultimately, to avoid reaching a breaking point that would cause the world’s demise. Willingness is not an option at this point in time. We have to understand that time is ticking and it's either we act quickly or we don't.

However, many of us seem to miss this point. The real battle is not us against the government, nor us against other races or countries. It is not us against our freedom to do whatever we want, even in the face of crisis. The real battle is between us and our ability to recall the core of being human. We cannot exist alone. If we want to survive these pressing times, we have to go back to our essence as social creatures, that only when we row in the same direction, only when we work together as a functioning system and only when we prioritize the preservation of our existence collectively as human beings do we have a chance on this. I am not denying my own incapability to fully grasp the situation, but I am writing this in the hope of sharing a message, that although the enemy and its effects are far more complex than what we could have imagined, our combined strengths as human beings surpass the pandemic’s havoc.

An act as simple as washing our hands properly, or putting ourselves in self-quarantine to avoid the spread of the virus does not only impact the individual, putting him or her away from harm, but it also impacts a wider range of living creatures called fellow human beings. These preventive measures even extend its impact to our surroundings, the rest of the living creatures and elements around us – the trees, the animals, the air. This is a rare chance to also remember that we are stewards of the world around us, not exploiters. We have long forgotten that we are not the only living creatures in the world. The rashness of our lives has blinded us from the simple necessities and priorities of being alive. This situation is the best chance we have to remember the core of our existence.

Believing otherwise would then confirm the subtle whisper in my head that I have tried so hard to shake away – that there may not be any more hope for us, humans. I hope not. In my heart, there is a stronger heartbeat that is not doubtful. A more powerful voice that bears no hesitation, saying with confidence that inside each and single person in the world, there is a flicker of hope and goodness, and when we unleash them along with action; following the same line of thought that we do so to continue to live on as human beings, we will have in our hands, a big chance to win against the virus. We can turn the tides. 





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