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The Brighter Side: Coronavirus is not a Death Sentence
I have been mulling over an article of this nature for weeks but my muse was slow to deliver. A feedback message on an Africell flyer posted on my WhatsApp status did the trick. To the message on the flyer which reads “you can RECOVER from the coronavirus disease. Catching it DOES NOT MEAN you will have it for life,” came the reply “thanks for sharing; at least you are giving us positive energy.”
And there you go, the impulse to write arrived. The fact is that COVID-19 is a terrible disease with great potential to kill any victim. Therefore it is important that we remain careful and vigilant; take instructions like hand washing and physical distancing seriously and do whatever we can to help in this global fight against this killer disease.
Having said that, we must never lose hope in the heat of this pandemic. The human body is a complex machine built by the Creator to stand many challenges. Our misery lies in our want of wisdom. With knowledge comes ease, understanding and resilience to challenges. Indeed the Bible is right as clearly stated in the Old Testament, Hosea, 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.
We live in dark and dire times. But a combination of scripture and authentic scientific knowledge will yield us the perfect torchlight to shatter the veils of darkness that constitute the barrier to resolving the problems posed to us by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The multitudinous problems posed by this pandemic range from the physical-medical aspect to psychological challenges arising from our lonely days of lockdown; these problems are compounded by economic issues arising from the global slump-down and also spiritual constraints as our houses of worship remain largely closed.
But there are rays of hope in the horizon and we must focus on the stars even as we trudge in the muddy waters of this COVID-19 wilderness.
In the Holy Quran, Allah teaches us that he has created the human being in a very solid and magnificent manner. Verse, 4 of Surah Tin (chapter 95) asserts “We have certainly created man in the best of stature;”
So why are we overwhelmed with fear to the extent that the COVID-related infodemic is now creating its own threat to our lives. The #Coronavirus has the POTENTIAL to kill anyone who is infected with it; but that death is not automatic because the conditions can be remedied and many people are recovering from the disease. In his Mercy and Wisdom, God has given us some biological soldiers to protect us, called the immune system. This protective force does not obviate the need to take precautions and remain careful, but it is much needed assurance in these dark days we are living in.
In an article published by the Washington Post, George F. Will reminds us “ it is estimated that every day between one and five of your cells turns cancerous and your immune system kills them: ‘A couple of dozen times a week, well over a thousand times a year, you get the most dreaded disease of our age, and each time your body saves you.’ … “three billion years of evolutionary tweaks” have taught your body some neat tricks.”
So there is hope despite the gloom surrounding our globe.
Meanwhile, I woke up to some inspiring words from the author of the “Monk Who Sold his Ferrari” and other bestsellers, Robin Sharma, that nudged me into some bright thoughts shared with my followers on social media through our platform Sabally Leadership Academy (SLA) Facebook group:
“The way we deal with challenges can determine our success.”
The lockdown and social distancing ushered in by the current COVID-19 Pandemic have also offered us the opportunity for deep thinking and study.
Use this period to #read good books, develop your ideas for business and scholarship; and get ready for the next big #opening.
Every adversity carries with it the seeds of its equivalent blessing so open up a window of positivity in your soul in these days of fear and solitude…
In the words of Robin Sharma, “This season of enforced quietude offers you an amazing chance to pull back from the busyness and build yourself into a genuine hero.”
Truly, solitude and quietude constitute the fertile grounds for illumination of the mind and spirit and the germination of fertile and fruitful ideas. Both Jesus Christ and Moses (Peace be on them) spent lots of time alone in the wilderness. The Last and Final Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be on him) was in the midst of self-imposed isolation and deep reflection when the light of the Quran descended upon him to brighten the whole world. And from that tome of light, I share hereunder some luminous rays of hope:
By the morning brightness.
And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,
Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He become displeased,
And surely what comes after is better for you than that which has gone before.
Your Lord will soon grant you sufficient favors to please you.
– Quran, 93: 1-5
We should remain careful and vigilant, but we must never ever lose sight of the rays of hope behind the dark clouds the COVID-19 stormy weather.
Momodou Sabally
Former Presidential Affairs Minister and International Speaker, Momodou Sabally, is a prolific author of inspirational books like “The Way to Happiness” among other titles. He is the Founder and President of Sabally Leadership Academy (SLA), a youth empowerment foundation.