The Virus that stopped the world

No one saw it coming. Then again, maybe a few did. It would come out of nowhere and baffle many, make them sick and perpetually claim many lives. Something straight out of a Sci-fi flick or the Bible? Maybe. But imagine living in a time where “maybe” just may be the only hope that the entire world would have. Maybe they’ll find a cure, maybe the virus would just go away. Maybe God or the government would just step in and save us. But one thing’s certain. After all is said and done, it just may go down in history as the virus that stopped the world.

How the Virus stopped the world

Schools closed, companies filed for bankruptcy, tens of thousands lost their jobs or died. Officially everything hasn’t stopped yet. Will it? Hopefully not, but time will tell. This is usually how a realistic person would think in such a dire situation.

Conversely, when most people think of the world being “stopped” they probably imagine one thing first. They likely envision a world where almost no one is on the street, all buildings shut down and food is painfully scarce. The Walking Dead or Z nation, anyone? Just thinking of these TV series alone would give you a clearer idea of what it would truly mean if the world stopped. But in real life, at least now and for the foreseeable future, the stopping of the world means something a little different.

Symptoms of the Virus

Runny nose, dry cough, sore throat, lung infection, sneezing, fever, tiredness and difficulty breathing. These are just some of the most potential symptoms of “the virus”.
Someone says, “Is this what the world is so afraid of? Because in my opinion this virus just sounds like some sort of over-hyped flu.”
“How irresponsible are you?” another person rebukes. “Why aren’t you taking this more seriously? It’s a pandemic! People are dying!”
“So what’s new? More people die from many more ‘incurable diseases’ on a daily basis. What makes this one so special?”
“You’re heartless!”
“And you have no brain!”

Meanwhile people can be seen scampering about the streets, seemingly picking up any consumable item they can find. Thousands wear questionable face masks along with a suspicious gaze the moment you look at them. Now, most people only leave their homes to get what they want and then hurry back indoors as though their lives depend on it. But this is only after they wash their hands and sanitize their door knobs and handles. After all, the world only seems to be ending. But safety first … because you can never be too careful.

Before the Virus

It would have been amazing to get to state that before the virus, life was blissful and sweet for everyone. Those living the hardships and all the empathetic people in the world who are easily able to put themselves in others’ shoes know that was never the case. Many corporate giants treated their workers like crap. Workers looked down on other workers who they believed were not on their level. And millions saw it as a crime to not have a degree or to be “professionally educated”.

Furthermore, people traded in most days with their friends and families for nights alone with Netflix. So many, regardless of age, were consistently consumed with owning the most premium clothes or device. And they gave little thought about the food they had to eat. They also had little concern about the origins of sunlight, water, electricity and the freedom to effortlessly roam the streets. Churches celebrated with mass gatherings multiple times per week; still, some never cared about God. And people had so many choices with regards to visiting bars, clubs and restaurants that they actually got bored going to too many each week.

What the Virus changed

While the virus changed many things, a few of these are more universally prominent. Suddenly everyone seems to value janitors, supermarket workers, drivers and caretakers much more. More people suddenly appreciate cooperation and compassion. And suddenly good hygiene and cleanliness are constantly enforced to be the new order of things.

Others suddenly recognize that going to work every day may not be as bad as they once thought. And just as many now find working from home to be overrated; as social creatures, they miss the daily interactions with their coworkers—even the very ones they may hate. And these are just the start of all the changes that happened.

It was written, but…

Scores of references were made by numerous sources that a similar day would eventually come: scientists, Bill Gates, TV shows and the Bible … and so on. They have long claimed that it was very likely that a virus would be the death of us all.

The good news is that as bad as things may have gotten and despite the number of lives that have regrettably been lost, everyone isn’t dead yet. There’s still abundant life and there’s still hope.

There’s hope in fear

It would be a pleasure to end this piece by saying if we just think positive and pray to God we’ll start living again. But it’s not that simple at this point.

There’s something to be said about one mysterious virus being able to cripple the world in a matter of months. Consider that this is a virus that most people cannot see but is one they fear and respect the consequences of regardless. But the same cannot be said about many people when it comes to fearing and respecting an “invisible God”.

For many people, fear is just another emotion they experience when life gets way too tough. Fear forces them to believe and have hope. It also forces them to believe that they actually do care about good causes and good people they otherwise wouldn’t give a damn about. For such persons, if their plan is to pray, then their best bet may be to pray for discernment and the ability to grasp what this virus is really all about.

Listen to the call

Wash your hands.
Stay at Home.
Be your brothers’ and sisters’ keepers…
And we will survive this.

Some WILL LISTEN out of fear, some WILL LISTEN only because they’re forced to. And others WILL LISTEN only for a time because they believe this virus is just another passing phase. Truthfully, who can blame them? The world has consistently been plagued with a long list of viruses like Ebola, SARS, H1NI and the Spanish Flu. We eventually recovered from all of the latter, despite the countless inconvenience and deaths. But it’s always good to consider that the next time may be different.

How it all ends

As more time passes, we may begin to realize that based on the manner in which we lackadaisically treat with both life and life threatening situations that “the virus” is the least of our worries. We only come together for a time. But once the period of mass fear and uncertainty wears off, most of the world will merely return to normal. Divided, argumentative and complacent we shall stand. Capitalism, judgement, vanity, degradation and discrimination will continue. And it will be all about money, power, status and control—just business as usual.

Because in real life the virus that stops the world isn’t one we can contract from someone else or can prevent through social distancing. It’s an infection caused by biological and societal conditioning that always leads to self preservation first followed by chronic selfishness. We hear the call during challenging times but when things get better we eventually stop acting on it. The deadliest virus of them all will forever be the bane of humanity itself.