Our pandemic experiences in review

Tim Elmore utilizes helpful metaphors. Here is one he shared on the pandemic, two years in.

“Boats and Weather

Several folks began using this helpful metaphor. Within months, we saw different people react uniquely to the pandemic, and some became judgmental of others who seemed to overreact to it all. The metaphor went like this: We’re all in the same boat, but we are not all in the same storm. For some of us, it’s been a light sprinkle. We quarantined with our spouse, cooked dishes from new recipes, and had time for loved ones that we hadn’t had before. For others, it was a downpour. It was scary to watch the news. They got furloughed, perhaps even got infected more than once. Still for others, it’s been a hurricane. Hospitalizations, lost jobs, even loved ones dying from COVID-19. It’s beneficial for me to remember that my storm may be lighter than others, and empathy is the proper response.”

I must confess when I first heard the “same boat, different storm” two years ago it was not explained, and it didn’t make sense to me. Now, with this explanation, it does. Our experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic are almost as varied as we are, and as we relate to one another charity paired with empathy must prevail.

To bring this under a Christian understanding I think Paul’s encouragement to the Galatians (chapter 6) must be a guiding principle: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” God bless you as we continue to navigate these waters, together.