In my article in today's Mail on Sunday (full article -> dailym.ai/2xweP84) I talk about how I hope that we emerge from this long dark night and the #coronavirus pandemic with an enhanced sense of “we” in five dimensions.
(1) There is the ‘we’ of global human solidarity. Never in my lifetime have we lived through a period in which people in every country throughout the world are suffering the same fears, the same dangers, the same risks.
(2) There is the ‘we’ of national identity. The divisions over Brexit that once seemed to overshadow all else can now be put in perspective. When it comes to real fundamentals like life and health, what unites us is greater than what divides us.
(3) There is the ‘we’ of humility. Despite all our affluence and technological powers, one tiny virus has brought humanity to its knees. From here on, we should never underestimate our vulnerability.
(4) There is the ‘we’ in acts of kindness. Reaching out with help to others should make us permanently aware of other people’s problems, not just our own.
(5) And there is the ‘we’ of hope. Just as Christians are getting ready for #Easter, their great moment of renewal, so Jews around the world are beginning to prepare for #Passover, our festival of #freedom.
Passover contains a message of #hope for all of us. Each year we tell the story of the exodus, that begins in suffering and ends in liberation and joy. That is the shape of the human story.
Out of the bad, comes good, out of the curse comes blessing. Out of the coronavirus pandemic will come a new sense of collective responsibility, and we will all feel renewed.
All these ideas have come together in my new book: "Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times" (out now in UK -> amzn.to/33nzJlq @HodderFaith / out in Sept '20 in US -> bit.ly/2w5qYR7 @BasicBooks).
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.