The Human Cohesion Project — 30 Apr 2021
#TheHumanCohesionProject
Yet another friend succumbed to Covid today. Meanwhile, a state government in India is attempting to criminalise appeals on social media for help with oxygen and hospital beds because it apparently tarnishes the image of the government and “spoils the atmosphere”.
The country runs on the shoulders of amazing citizen volunteers and dedicated healthcare professionals. For that, I am grateful. I am not sure if this is a fair prayer, but for now, I pray, may their tribe increase.
I’m thinking of the journey of Prophet Yunus (Jonah in the Bible) in the context of today. Yunus was sent to preach to the people of Nineveh, but was rejected by its people. Disheartened, he impulsively decided to return, without consulting his inner voice. On the way back, a storm ravaged his ship and he ended up being jettisoned in an attempt to salvage the rest of the ship. In the sea, a whale swallowed him whole and carried him into the depths of the ocean, where he snapped out of his despair about Nineveh and reconnected with Allah. When he plugged into a source higher than himself, the whale swam to the ocean and ejected him safely to the shore. When he returned to Nineveh, he realised the city was safe after the storm and like him, the people there had also survived by surrendering to a higher force.
At some level, Covid feels like a whale that is swallowing us whole and taking us into the dark depths of despair. I wonder if we could learn to reconnect with the highest aspects of ourselves, reestablish a respectful connection with nature, so we may be safely delivered back to the shore.
What did you reconnect with today?
Ramadan Kareem. May we all reconnect with our collective identity.
#RukminiIyer #ExultSolutions #peacebuilding #interfaith #religion #Islam
