Should We Really Be Saying "Stay Safe"?
In our current C-virus World "Stay safe" and its cousin "Stay well" have replaced "Good-by" and "Take care." Recently, though, I came across a suggestion that grabbed my attention and caused me to consider whether these are always appropriate ways to end conversations and digital exchanges. As mentioned in our last post, I'm personally acquainted with a gentleman who recently published a piece that suggested they're not.
While I haven't had much direct communication with him for a number of years, there was a stretch of more than a decade when we communicated as fellow Catholics who attended the traditional Latin Mass. In addition to this connection, we both majored in philosophy at the same university (albeit in different years) under a man who was a brilliant teacher and a courageous Catholic apologist during some very difficult and disturbing post-Vatican II years.
That background sets the stage for the piece he wrote. It was part of his long-standing efforts to educate and inspire today's Catholics by grounding us in our great and venerable traditions. The most recent email I received from him updated plans for an annual conference - whether it would take place this summer. Along with those latest details, he expressed his thoughts about our current "pandemonium," as he described it. I thought the term appropriate, along with a more pedestrian term I've used: : "mess."
From a personal perspective, both "pandemonium" and "mess" capture what's swirling around us every day as we attempt to go about our business. I prefer these to "crisis." When you hear or read "crisis," frankly, it simply doesn't apply to everyone of us. For example, those of us still gainfully employed, receiving at least modest paychecks, who haven't suffered or had family members suffer the worst effects of COVID-19: Where's the crisis in that? Aren't we going about our business in a manner similar to what we've known in the past? Let's look at an example of a Catholic at work during this pandemonium.
The day begins as usual. We prepare ourselves spiritually, mentally, and physically. We tackle the tasks that await us in a conscientious and diligent fashion. We do our best not to be distracted by all the stories of "wars and rumors of wars" - an apt description of much of what lands in our In Boxes through email or other digital sources. We must keep our heads in the game, despite all the noise - and most of it surely is noise. Our customers, clients, colleagues, and, of course, our families, all depend on our faithfully fulfilling our duties each day.
Now, to be sure, I'm not saying everything's just as it was before our government-imposed "lock-down." Based on my own experience, along with what clients have told me these past weeks, there's a lot of time spent on everyday matters that in the past took minutes: disinfecting or washing our hands multiple times; shopping for groceries or other items. staying in touch with family and friends by phone, FaceTime, email, Facebook, etc. Add all this up and it comes to a good chunk of the day.
On a more serious note, certain C-virus related issues have clouded the future in a manner that creates some or a lot of anxiety: Will our employment continue despite a collapsing economy? Will our businesses revenue suffer critical losses as the economic activity sputters at best in its attempt to recover? Will older or immune compromised relatives and friends who've not caught the virus stay healthy?
We simply don't know. Even as we do our best and forget the rest (a pet phrase of one of my exercise "gurus"), we can't ignore the more disturbing aspects of our C-virus World. Typically, though, all we can do now is get down to the work of the day - and take it one day at a time.
With all this C-virus World stuff swirling around us, poking its nose into our daily affairs, you can understand why people have taken to the "Stay safe," and "Stay well," mantras.
And yet my old acquaintance has not only offered an alternative to these well-meaning wishes, but done so by forcefully arguing that serious Catholics ought to consider an alternative:
Stay Strong and Viva Cristo Rey!
While I haven't had much direct communication with him for a number of years, there was a stretch of more than a decade when we communicated as fellow Catholics who attended the traditional Latin Mass. In addition to this connection, we both majored in philosophy at the same university (albeit in different years) under a man who was a brilliant teacher and a courageous Catholic apologist during some very difficult and disturbing post-Vatican II years.
That background sets the stage for the piece he wrote. It was part of his long-standing efforts to educate and inspire today's Catholics by grounding us in our great and venerable traditions. The most recent email I received from him updated plans for an annual conference - whether it would take place this summer. Along with those latest details, he expressed his thoughts about our current "pandemonium," as he described it. I thought the term appropriate, along with a more pedestrian term I've used: : "mess."
From a personal perspective, both "pandemonium" and "mess" capture what's swirling around us every day as we attempt to go about our business. I prefer these to "crisis." When you hear or read "crisis," frankly, it simply doesn't apply to everyone of us. For example, those of us still gainfully employed, receiving at least modest paychecks, who haven't suffered or had family members suffer the worst effects of COVID-19: Where's the crisis in that? Aren't we going about our business in a manner similar to what we've known in the past? Let's look at an example of a Catholic at work during this pandemonium.
The day begins as usual. We prepare ourselves spiritually, mentally, and physically. We tackle the tasks that await us in a conscientious and diligent fashion. We do our best not to be distracted by all the stories of "wars and rumors of wars" - an apt description of much of what lands in our In Boxes through email or other digital sources. We must keep our heads in the game, despite all the noise - and most of it surely is noise. Our customers, clients, colleagues, and, of course, our families, all depend on our faithfully fulfilling our duties each day.
Now, to be sure, I'm not saying everything's just as it was before our government-imposed "lock-down." Based on my own experience, along with what clients have told me these past weeks, there's a lot of time spent on everyday matters that in the past took minutes: disinfecting or washing our hands multiple times; shopping for groceries or other items. staying in touch with family and friends by phone, FaceTime, email, Facebook, etc. Add all this up and it comes to a good chunk of the day.
On a more serious note, certain C-virus related issues have clouded the future in a manner that creates some or a lot of anxiety: Will our employment continue despite a collapsing economy? Will our businesses revenue suffer critical losses as the economic activity sputters at best in its attempt to recover? Will older or immune compromised relatives and friends who've not caught the virus stay healthy?
We simply don't know. Even as we do our best and forget the rest (a pet phrase of one of my exercise "gurus"), we can't ignore the more disturbing aspects of our C-virus World. Typically, though, all we can do now is get down to the work of the day - and take it one day at a time.
With all this C-virus World stuff swirling around us, poking its nose into our daily affairs, you can understand why people have taken to the "Stay safe," and "Stay well," mantras.
And yet my old acquaintance has not only offered an alternative to these well-meaning wishes, but done so by forcefully arguing that serious Catholics ought to consider an alternative:
Stay Strong and Viva Cristo Rey!
Some of you may be familiar with Viva Cristo Rey! from its use by the Knights of Columbus. Its origins, however, raise it above a mere greeting or slogan. If you're not familiar with them, you can read the Wiki entry about the Cristero War in Mexico, 1926-1929. Facing circumstances much more difficult and life-threatening than COVID-19, faithful Catholics refused to be cowed by the lethal persecutions of the Mexican state at that time. Familiarity with those desperate times provides a perfect backdrop for a deeper understanding of why we should consider a switch from "Stay safe" to "Stay strong."
Without minimizing the iillness and deaths caused by this virus, or the impact the government shut-down of our economy has had on all of us, we'll see why my old acquaintance wants to shake us out of the paralysis imposed by the state. It's not so much the physical restrictions that concern him. Rather it's the effect these have had on our hearts, minds, and souls.
More next time...
Happy Easter!
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