Ten days ago, I posted my reflection upon our current living with the threat of the COVID-19 virus. In the past, pandemics have opened up new avenues for society. My friend, Dr. Andrew Duxbury will often include in his blog, Life, the Universe, and Everything, posts that he calls his "accidental plague diaries." Last month he mentioned how in the past, pandemics have dramatically affected society. The Justinian Plague, for example, led to the development of Byzantine society in the east when it essentially brought the Roman Empire to an end. The Bubonic Plague in Europe helped to pave the way for the Renaissance and opened Europe up for the Protestant Reformation and what came to be known as "the modern world." Who knows how this pandemic will unfold or where it will lead. the novelist and political activist, Arundhati Roy suggests that instead of longing for a return to normal, we can let this time serve as a portal to a better way. Here she is reading from her new essay, “The Pandemic Is a Portal.*”
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*from her forthcoming book Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction. releasing in September from Haymarket Books.
Thanks for the uplift.
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