Facilitators of Dialogue

[Coronavirus – II]

If I pick up my phone right now and read the news, I will learn two things: 1) Coronavirus is destroying the world, and Italy is getting hit the worst, and 2) Trump is a terrible President.

That’s it.

And that’s a shame.

If there was ever a time to get off the 24-hour news cycle train, it is now. It is not serving our collective health well. A pandemic plus internet news that seeks to amass clicks, is a recipe for hysteria. Hysteria on a personal level looks like fear, anxiety, and restlessness; on a societal level it looks like irrationally hoarding resources (toilet paper, maybe). And that’s exactly what we have, isn’t it?

People like us in a time like this will step off the train, and instead, facilitate conversations.

Not everyone agrees about what’s going on, but we all agree that something momentous is happening. Explore that together.

Not everyone is suffering the same way, but we all agree no one is going unaffected by this pandemic. Discuss that.

Not everyone will experience the same level of fallout from this virus, but we all agree that some will be unable to recover. Talk about who and what will need the most support.

Not everyone is hysterical, but we all agree that a societal freak-out is unhealthy in the end. Converse about how to stay balanced and gain perspective.

Don’t be afraid to disagree. Listen well. Offer grace. Learn from each other.

(And stop bashing Trump. It’s not helping.)