The World is Still Spinning
courtesy of Marcia Himmelburg, USMARC
Even as the industrial world closes to flatten the curve of COVID-19, the sun still rises above the horizon. Our man-made world halts, but the natural world that we live in still provides beauty for us all.
We as humans have a false sense of control on life. We believe that the world happens around us. The events in our lives are the most important. In all reality, this “control” we have on life is flimsy at best, probably nonexistent. We don’t control the weather or the seasons, the sun or the moon, the animals or the bacteria.
This reality is hitting many people as we sit at home in self-isolation. Businesses are closing down, events are postponing, gatherings are being cancelled. And yet, as you look out the window, life goes on. The flowers are still blooming and the animals are still roaming, the sun is still setting and the world is still spinning. As you look out that window, the Earth moves on like nothing’s happening. How is this possible when everything is changing? Easy, it’s because we don’t have control.
We don’t control time. We don’t control the sun setting. We don’t control life. This realization is frightening. No control equals no assurance of what’s to come. Realizing that we don’t control life deprives us of a comfort we have come to rely on: comfort in predictability. And at this monumental time in our lives, that is what people crave: comfort in knowing what’s to come. And yet in all reality, we don’t. The future is up in the air and no one knows when it’s coming down.
We are encouraged to stay at home and continue our lives from the inside of a building. Although we are not under the shelter-in-place restrictions, it still feels a little like prison. How do we get on with life when nothing’s happening in society? How do we continue our daily lives when the government is telling us to stay at home? People use all kinds of social media platforms to stay “connected,” but feeling disconnected and alone is becoming the new normal. Even in this technology age, it’s a chore to really stay connected.
That’s when you come to realize how much we rely on human interaction to sustain our life. Our dependence on others forges paths in our lives that otherwise lie uncovered. Face-to-face interaction is as necessary as food and water. Without it, our ability to live in a society-based world dwindles, our socialization skills wither. What are we supposed to do when all this is over and we haven’t physically talked to our friends in weeks, months? There are so many uncertainties, and the future is still up in the air, with no plans to come down anytime soon.
Through this time, we will also see the benefits of self-isolation. With no events and gatherings, our lives are slowed down. We get the chance to notice the little things. How beautiful a sunrise or sunset is if only you take the time to look. How one simple act can make someone’s day. How family is there in the house together, but not always living together. How love is sustaining and can get you through just about everything. How the good things in life are always in reach. How time is the most valuable resource anyone has.
Even as you begin to realize these things, the future is still up in the air and always will be. Our false sense of control tells us that the future is in reach, but it’s not. It is always uncertain; we can’t grasp it until it becomes the present. I read a devotion the other day. It began with this: “This is a time in your life when you must learn to let go: of loved ones, of possessions, of control.” It later goes on to say, “You can feel secure, even in the midst of cataclysmic changes…” through awareness that the Lord is continually there. It seemed fitting in these ever-changing times of uncertainty. The future is always shrouded in a fog of mystery and vagueness. It is always flying high above, where we cannot begin to understand it.
And yet as you gaze outside, the flowers are still blooming and the animals are still roaming, the sun is still setting and the world is still spinning. Our lives are a jigsaw puzzle, but filled with beautiful reminders that we don’t have to be in control. The beauty of it is that no matter what happens in our lives, through any catastrophe, the world still endures and gives us solid ground to stand on. The future is up in the air, but underneath it all, the world is still spinning.