Memo from Covid 19

Abstract

The Covid-19 virus has swept violently through the world in 2020. This short article suggests ten ways the crisis has had a spiritual impact. These range from a new focus on death as life’s horizon to the experience of the contingency of life’s projects, from the rediscovery of universal fraternity to a new appreciation of the need for contemplative care for our planet, from greater recognition of the need to make time for prayer to consideration of the link between spirituality, solidarity and justice. While recognizing that each point deserves further exploration, the author offers the article as a “memo” written in the midst of a crisis, contextualizing each point within the broader Christian spiritual tradition. He takes his cue from Chiara Lubich, who wrote: “Jesus Forsaken! What’s important is that when he passes by, we are attentive to hear what he wants to tell us, because he always has new things to say.”