By John Hilke
Some of you may have seen articles about silver linings associated with the responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. See, for example, https://www.iflscience.com/environment/the-unexpected-impact-of-a-pandemic-on-the-environment-/ or perhaps you have seen the remarkable pre- and post-Covid 19 satellite views of air pollution in China.
What insights can or should we take from the presence of these environmental silver linings?
A few come to mind and I hope that you will take some time to consider others.
- I suspect that the idea of telework will get quite a boost from this period in history. Telework is not a good fit in every situation, for sure, and it can be disruptive of home life. Yet, to the extent that it works, telework offers some relief from long commutes, heavy use of gasoline and associated emissions, and traffic-related tragedies.
- Although Zoom and other video conferencing services are not perfect, they are certainly better than not interacting at all and they open possibilities for staying in community across distances and across health conditions that could not have been possible earlier. In some instances, it feels that Zoom and similar technologies can help us get better in taking turns in conversation and in bringing greater equity to patterns of conversation.
- Videography of sermons and events is not perfect, but it is also better than not participating. Again, the technology opens possibilities for staying in community when distance or health do not permit in-person interaction.
That’s a short list, some of which are directly applicable to WUUC, and some to life more generally.
Take care and be as safe as possible under the circumstances.
John Hilke