The spring is here, baseball is not. The warm weather is here, beaches are closed. Everything around us feels like spring, but the stay-at-home orders and social distancing recommendations are keeping us from enjoying the weather and open spaces and sporting events in ways we once could.
During a time when a pandemic is suffocating the world humans are bound to their homes. Movement outside is either essential or for recreational/sanity purposes (think walking, jogging and biking) and many people are not going outdoors at all. This photo shows the increase in numbers from January 22 to March 22.
Now five weeks later the number of infected humans has exceeded 3.2 million and the death total is over 230,000 and most unfortunately these numbers are not decreasing. Even with numbers being what they are countries and states in the U.S. are having soft re-openings with restrictions in order to jump start an economy that has been diminished due to shutdowns and stay-at-home orders.
The experts believe we will rebound eventually, but the unemployment rate is the highest it has been in 50 years and many small businesses will not make it through the pandemic.
Last night I was researching Prometheus, a Greek mythological figure, who in the Western classical tradition, became a figure who represented human striving, particularly the quest for scientific knowledge, and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. Is this what the world needs now, a hero who can risk it all and sacrifice much to save the world?
Joseph Campbell, author of The hero with a thousand faces, presents a comparison of Prometheus with Jesus Christ. Each in their own way suffered for humanity and gifted said humanity with Christ it was the gift of propitiation from Heaven, and, for Prometheus the gift was of fire from Olympus.
Will their be a savior for all human kind that will create the vaccine to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus? Will they too suffer for their heroism? As we navigate through this pandemic and see the world around us change and view the atrocities of disease it often feels like a fantasy movie or comic book story and so it would not be so unbelievable for one person to save us all. In a time where so many freedoms have been taken form us and hope is only left. Is it too much to ask?
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