Time and time again we’ve seen it in Brevard. Whether it is a natural disaster or man-made emergency, Brevard steps up and people here show just who we are and what makes us special.
And, in all honesty, it’s not just Brevard. We’ve all seen it from our fellow man, or most of them, no matter where we’re from or what we have experienced. Flooding in West Virginia, tornadoes in the Midwest, wildfires, mudslides and earthquakes in California and volcanoes and tsunamis in the pacific islands all bring out the same reactions of compassion and sharing.
Crime is met with largely the same reaction as the men and women who investigate and fight it are tireless in their efforts. When tragedy strikes their ranks, we rally around them.
These are the signs of the good in us. And I want to believe that for the most of us this is true. There are, however, those others of us who would take advantage of the weak and afflicted and cause more harm rather than healing.
I’m saying all of that to say this: adversity of any type reveals just who we are. It doesn’t bring out the best in us; it brings out just who we are no matter just what that is.
So as we face something that is different in the coronavirus, let’s take a look around and take a look at ourselves while we’re at it. Let’s be honest as we do so and call it just as it is. We’ll see good and bad. And maybe, just maybe, when we look in that mirror we something better than we were before.
For if adversity does reveal just who we are, this is an opportunity to make the best of it for ourselves and, in the long run, everyone with whom we interact.
Think of it as a reset button. Adversity creates opportunity. What are we making of ours?