"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations cultures, arts, civilisations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no. flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way for in him also Christ 'vere latitat' - the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.
~ from "The Weight of Glory" (1941 Lewis preaches "The Weight of Glory" in Oxford University Chruch of St. Mary the Virgin
COVID-19 and it's associated "consequences" has stolen much of our year. It has stolen our health, the lives of our loved ones, the presence of our loved ones, our livelihoods, and our sense of security and well being. But we are not ordinary people. There are no "ordinary" people. And a pandemic will prove who we really are.
The pandemic with all of its curses brought out the best in us. We found ways to help each other and give a portion of ourselves to others. We found ways to achieve what we must achieve: love, relationship, worship, and survival. The key to all of that, I believe, was what C.S. Lewis was referring to when he said, "And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment."
There was no flippancy, indulgence, or tolerance in the love we saw extended to complete strangers, even if it were only to allow them a place in line ahead of us. There was a sincere desire to help ("love") other people.
Thinking back on the scene, it reminded me of our generosity and warmth during the Christmas season. Now it extended into the summer. What a blessing! All was not catastrophe with the virus. We related to others the way Christ intended for us to relate.
There were "Good Samaritan" actions. There was kindness. There was empathy. There was understanding. We were all "people" without being put into boxes, divisions, or groups -- people relating to people. People loving others as equals and with like joys, pain, and longings.
"Ordinary people" would allow this to pass and return to "as it was before." I hope there are no ordinary people and that we can look at how, even though life was more difficult, more inconvenient, more challenging, we became better during the crisis.
