By Eunice Malala

The day President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a partial lock down in Nairobi metropolitan areas, a family member called to check on me; they were all worried and thinking of all possible ways to get me out of town. “You should come back, it is safe here.” It left me wondering if there is a place on earth that is so safe right now, somewhere COVID-19 cannot reach.

A few months ago the whole world was on its feet, we felt safe everywhere, almost anywhere. Everyone going about their businesses and life routines with hope and dreams of bright futures. No one imagined that this time this year, the world would be in a crisis, bringing it to almost a stop.

Since the COVID-19 breakout, a lot has changed. Right from how we live and the level of care we give our bodies and mind.

The pandemic has gotten people contained in their homes for a period we cannot even predict because no one has a clue on when the pandemic will clear. As countries stay closed, people are left to look at life from a different angle; relationships, financial expenditure, healthcare, our lifestyle and more. We are all left to the networking power of the internet.

Physical Touch

We are now living in a phase where physical touch and handshakes have become a taboo in order to protect ourselves from the virus. Businesses have closed down, people have lost their jobs, salary cuts, postponed weddings, empty parks/stadiums and even education programs have come to a standstill as economies melt down.

There’s now a new order in the world as those left to work and help in the fight of the virus are surrounded with risks of contamination and death. Nations, families and people are now able to look past their differences since they’re all facing a common threat.

No one has experienced such before and predicting how things will unfold is hard as the world is only left to fight and battle the Corona virus pandemic. Bombs aren’t dropping, armies are not matching to battle fields, grenades are not exploding at our doors but still, it’s nothing close to the anxiety of watching the world collapse on a rather slow motion tragedy.

Not the End of the World

As the number of COVID-19 cases keep rising, most people’s hopes keep dwindling. Fear is settling in. it is true that the virus is a shattering pandemic no one ever imagined. Lives have been lost and disrupted in every possible ways, placing humanity on a new worrisome path. We however believe that this is not the end of the world. There are signs of hope as number of recovery cases from the virus continue to hit the bar higher. With the spirit of overcoming, this too is a challenge we shall overcome.

The question, however, that keeps crossing many of our minds is when all is done and the word heals, how will life be? Will we still shun shaking hands and keep up with the culture of washing hands? Will social life be resumed fully or will we shift our lives to online platforms only? Will we still live by the rules we have always lived by?

As preachers goes on and on to preach dooms day and the ticking clock  to the end of the world, what lesson are you learning from this pandemic?