Common Humanity

Last week President Biden spoke before the United Nations. His speech addressed, among other issues, the urgency related to the pandemic and the climate. This quote was featured in the Wall Street Journal: “Our shared grief is a poignant reminder that our collective future will hinge on our ability to recognize our common humanity and to act together.” 

I began this blog in hope that something I might write would be helpful to someone dealing with loss. The At Peace blog name was intended to capture a number of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs people must address in the midst of the pandemic and all of resulting life changes.

The first need people suffering loss must address is acknowledging that a loss has occurred. President Biden spoke to the necessity of grasping a need to work together as a “common humanity” to address, with urgency, the needs resulting from the pandemic.

We all have lost something during these pandemic times. I have learned to never compare life losses because reconciling loss should not be a competition. Our losses will differ with some people experiencing anxiety from losing a way of life which had grown comfortable and others dealing with the death of multiple family members and friends, and everything in between. Each loss requires us to work to reconcile it to the best of our ability so that, ultimately, we may “live well and love well,” as spoken by my mentor, Alan Wolfelt.

As of the date of this writing, the number of pandemic deaths in the United States was 688,032,  surpassing the losses sustained by the Spanish Flu of 1918. The world has suffered 4.75 million deaths. In earlier blogs I mentioned that, statistically, nine people will mourn each of these deaths. So, over six million people in the U.S. are presently suffering a death loss.

Recognizing the growing toll of losses in our country, we must come together to address these crucial issues. Given our shared grief, we should come together in “common humanity.” Show empathy to all, respecting the losses we share. 

Multiple faith traditions speak to the need for a kindness and loving care for one another. My tradition continues to return me to the biblical reference of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verse 34 of the Holy Bible, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” I pray for you to live At Peace.

Common Humanity

Last week President Biden spoke before the United Nations. His speech addressed, among other issues, the urgency related to the pandemic and the climate. This quote was featured in the Wall Street Journal: “Our shared grief is a poignant reminder that our collective future will hinge on our ability to recognize our common humanity and to act together.” 

I began this blog in hope that something I might write would be helpful to someone dealing with loss. The At Peace blog name was intended to capture a number of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs people must address in the midst of the pandemic and all of resulting life changes.

The first need people suffering loss must address is acknowledging that a loss has occurred. President Biden spoke to the necessity of grasping a need to work together as a “common humanity” to address, with urgency, the needs resulting from the pandemic.

We all have lost something during these pandemic times. I have learned to never compare life losses because reconciling loss should not be a competition. Our losses will differ with some people experiencing anxiety from losing a way of life which had grown comfortable and others dealing with the death of multiple family members and friends, and everything in between. Each loss requires us to work to reconcile it to the best of our ability so that, ultimately, we may “live well and love well,” as spoken by my mentor, Alan Wolfelt.

As of the date of this writing, the number of pandemic deaths in the United States was 688,032,  surpassing the losses sustained by the Spanish Flu of 1918. The world has suffered 4.75 million deaths. In earlier blogs I mentioned that, statistically, nine people will mourn each of these deaths. So, over six million people in the U.S. are presently suffering a death loss.

Recognizing the growing toll of losses in our country, we must come together to address these crucial issues. Given our shared grief, we should come together in “common humanity.” Show empathy to all, respecting the losses we share. 

Multiple faith traditions speak to the need for a kindness and loving care for one another. My tradition continues to return me to the biblical reference of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verse 34 of the Holy Bible, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” I pray for you to live At Peace.