Pandemic Lamentations

“My eyes are worn out with weeping; my soul is in anguish. I am exhausted with grief at the destruction of my people.” (Lamentations 2:11 GNT)

Every day the numbers go up--people hospitalized and dying, families struggling. Unemployment, loss, sadness, fear, and desperation are rampant. The streets are empty as people stay home. In this time of uncertainty and sickness, emotions feel indulgent. 

My mind cycles through grief, anger, and numbness; out of these, the last one is the easiest to express. Distractions, humor, exercise, amusements, and productive projects can all keep me anesthetized to a certain degree. I am unsure what to do with sadness. I am aware of how lucky I am, but I can’t help but weep for the millions of people worldwide who are sick, for all those families who have lost loved ones to this virus, for those in isolation, for those who are stuck far from home, for those who are jobless, homeless, and without basic necessities.  I don’t know how to deal with the anger--at the leaders who called the warnings a hoax and spread disinformation, who withheld testing for political reasons, who pushed untested drugs on healthcare workers while denying them protective equipment. My eyes are worn out from weeping; my soul is in anguish. I am exhausted with grief at the destruction of my people.