Precaution As a Spiritual Practice

It seems you can’t spell pandemic without panic, and that is what we have in spades these days. This is mostly seen in the hoarding of materials and politicization of the process of taking care of ourselves and one another.

Panic can be a helpful tool; it is self-protective and heightens our awareness to our interactions with the world around us. However, ongoing panic is detrimental to our physical and mental health as well as our relationships. Ongoing panic can lower our resilience and resistance to negative influences, creating difficulties for many with underlying mental health issues and concerns.

As we enact social distancing for the greater public health, please remember those who experience life with mental health issues. For some of them panic may exacerbate feelings of isolation. In turn this could increase the prevalence of depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns that people live with daily.

As people who wish to help others, we can begin by helping people reframe the current context and culture. We can help people choose precaution over panic; the preservation of the whole and our community over the preservation of the self alone.

As spiritual leaders we can help others see precaution as a spiritual practice. Much like prayer, meditation, ritual, worship, fellowship, mission work, precaution can be a spiritual practice that heightens our sense of connection to our community and the people we love.

Our frame as spiritual leaders is about the ‘why’ of social distancing, not the ‘what’. It is about the conscience choice we make as children of God to love all of God’s children through the ways we interact. Social distancing is a physical precaution, it does not have to be a mental one. We can connect via text, phone, video chat, letters, and emails with those we love and care about.

As we embark on these new and interesting days, one of the best ways we can continue to act in faith is to connect. Allow yourself to take precautions without becoming panicked; allow yourself to be creative in your connections, finding ways to reach out and offer an embrace with your words. In all things, remember that God is with us and with others as well.