Student Reflection Thursday

A Reflection On Hope

By Noah Gascon

2020 will forever be known as the year our world stopped turning. None of us have ever experienced anything like this crisis in our entire lives.

For many, what started out as a school closure announcement on a Thursday evening before march break, has exploded into one of the greatest challenges our society has faced in decades. Life as we know it has been put on hold. The most vulnerable members of our community are being affected the most. Our economy is treading on thin ice. These are definitely not normal times.

However, this crisis has brought the best out of so many of us. As I go for my walks everyday, kids in my neighbourhood are drawing “Thank you” messages for our frontline workers in their driveways with chalk. People around the world have been coming outside at 7pm every night to give a thunderous applause to our healthcare superheroes.  Neighbours are checking up on one another to stay safe. Volunteers are stepping up to help keep our communities fed. Friends and family have helped in keeping our small businesses afloat. Nurses and Doctors have provided patients of all stripes with compassionate care even in these emotionally straining times.

These actions are what truly represents our God given human spirit. All of these wonderful things have been happening because of the unique spirits that God has instilled within all of us. I have never believed that good things happen out of thin air. There is always a spiritual presence that lies within our decisions to do good in our everyday lives. Churches being closed have cut many people off from traditional ways of being with God. However, I’ve always believed that God lies in places beyond the church. His spirit is what is causing us to come together even when we’re apart. Today, many more people are living in the image that Christ always wanted for all of us. He wanted a world where people looked out for one another and that’s exactly what we’re seeing today, you just have to look out your window.

In addition to this, we’ve all had the opportunity to have deeper reflections on our personal lives and what really matters to us. This pandemic has exposed us to our collective blindness of what we used to take for granted. The trip to the grocery store, the visit with Grandma, the night at the movie theatre, seeing friends and extended family or even being able to go to school are all things we never thought would vanish.

Although I’ve missed all of those things, I’ve realized that there is a deeper meaning to life and we must appreciate every moment we have with each other. I mourn with all the families who have lost loved ones to this deadly virus and won’t have the opportunity to do that.

I look forward to being reunited with friends, family and co workers when this is all over. This is a major storm but God would never put is through something that us and him could not weather together. A very wise person once told me that life wasn’t worth living if there wasn’t hope. The fantastic news is that there is so much hope every day even when it may not seem like it.

You just have to look at how God is working in ways that we wouldn’t expect. I promise, we will get through this... together.