Dr John Mohan Razu
Not even a year passed by; in about few months, experiences that the people around the world faced have been huge and momentous. COVID-19, a global pandemic has dashed the hopes and aspirations of people; pulverized the power of science and technology; decimated egos and arrogance of Homo sapiens. COVID-19 has leveraged religion to another level. Religion being an agency between God and the faithful has assumed a new format and is now new normal.
Further, coronavirus pushed the faithful to all kinds of anxious moments such as fear and despair that propelled them to ask: What God is doing in a world of pandemic? How can God allow a monstrous and deadly virus to take over everything? How could God allow hundreds and thousands of people to die and get infected every day? Is God angry by sending coronavirus to punish or to teach us something? Is it the end of the world or there’s something more to it?
In addition to the above questions the current scenario portrays that millions have lost their jobs and man more in the coming days which would push bulk of the populace to the brink of hunger and poverty. Apart from others migrant workers and the poor are pushed to such horrifying conditions. Those workers in the informal sectors are stranded in places of work and being separated for months from their families living hundreds of kilometers without livelihood.
Parallel to the above questions and scenario, scientific community thus far is clueless and desperately engaged in research to find a vaccine which can combat coronavirus. Towards this end, scientists from renowned universities, big pharmaceutical corporations, private and Government research agencies across the globe are involved to contain and to eradicate COVID-19 at the earliest. Nonetheless, no one knows when the vaccine would be put to test and then go to the public. It takes at least eighteen months or even more. So, everything looks bleak.
We live in uncertainty and dark times. In such a context religion and science, faith and reason co-exist. At the same time, the adherents and believers keep raising questions to who they affirm their faith; the scientist and rationalists are engaged in probing and researching to find out the origin and the ways to eradicate the virus. We believed that science and technology, especially medical sciences could lead us to greater heights and secure us safety and security to our lives. We relied on our own achievements and held our hopes on our achievements and advancements. When we were @ pinnacle, COVID-19 made its entry and dashed our hopes and future.
The custodians of faith in the organized religion particularly in Christianity who believe in God as their Lord and Savior have been totally shocked and numbed by the ways with which COVID-19 played up. A maze of interpretations that triggered from deep down boils down to a few questions: Why should God send this coronavirus? What does the Bible say? How to deepen the faith in God during pandemic times? Along these questions there are some more looms at large.
COVID-19 has brought technology, science and human achievements to a standstill. It also triggered the faith communities and the believers to such a state where they are stupefied by certain things and yet not knowing what is to be done. Faith and reason, science and religion are indeed juxtaposed and have come to a standstill and yet somehow moving without any definiteness and hope. COVID-19 has brought faith and reason, religion and science to much closer proximity. It has brought about a new normal and proximity between faith and reason.
A question that frequently haunts many: How long exactly COVID-19 remains, Marc Lipsitch, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health said “It’s going to be a matter managing it over months to a couple of years. It’s not a matter of getting past the peak, as some people seem to believe.” Substantiating further, prescriptions such as social distancing, frequent washing hands with disinfection liquids, limiting the sizes of gatherings of varying intensities and durations will not be sufficient in the long-term.
Scientists believe and data available shows that COVID-19 will remain in our midst and going to stay with us for some more time. Rounds of pandemic waves will hit us and take various dimensions and dynamics as it travels through time and space. COVID-19 in its own stride travels taking its time and space. The faithful adherents believe that God is in control of time and space and firmly affirm that “In God’s Time and Space”. This is where both meet vis-à-vis science and faith, reason and religion. COVID-19 has juxtaposed these two polar opposites.
COVID-19 has fixed Homo sapiens in strange postulates and in difficult propositions. Many of us thought that the skills and knowledge, science and technology that accrued were more than sufficient. We took pride in our own achievements and relied on our advancements and higher levels of life. COVID-19 entered all of a sudden and taught us that all that we have is not going to help us. We are struck not knowing what to do. Confronting COVID-19 is not going to be easy and would be excruciatingly painful. We have taken everything for granted. Our skewed assumptions and tall claims pushed us to a state of despair and rejection not knowing what to do.
On the other side of fence those who affirm their faith in God and believe in supernatural forces keep contemplating to the unprecedented sufferings unleashed by COVID-19. They believe in God who would restore the humanity to normalcy. Fast life and flurry of activities that dominated during pre-COVID-19 came to static level. Religious gatherings in mosques, temples, churches and in others are prohibited. Corporate worship services and gatherings are strictly not allowed. Religious communities and congregations have been pushed to carry on their prayers and other observances at the individual and familial levels, altering the pre-COVID-19 practices.
Life shall never be static, but dynamic. It is not going to be the same and would move to some other heights that no one knows. However scientists are hoping that a vaccine would be developed sooner and a breakthrough is in the offing. Faith-based communities and congregations await God’s intervention, healing and mercy. Science and religion, faith and reason have been brought to proximate levels unfolding uncertainties and indefiniteness. Coronavirus has brought closer these two entities to an animated suspension. Faith and reason, religion and science are now in creative and critical proximity like two sides of the same coin.
