COVID and The Fall

Don’t worry: this is not going to be your latest conspiracy theory article or even another useful self-help discussion on how to handle the stress of our current times. Rather, this article is the fruit of a lot of thought and observation, along with a decent amount of theological tie-in.

The truth is, we have all learned a lot about ourselves, and a lot about humanity in general through the COVID pandemic. And whether we learned that we as humans are desperately in need of social interaction, or that we all have developed a new-found love for making sourdough bread, I think there is a lot of good to be taken away from this experience. For the sake of this article, there is one observation I would like to touch on in particular, however. My thoughts on this matter began when I was in communication with a friend who had just tested positive for the virus. The conversation went a little like this, albeit much abbreviated:

“So sorry about getting sick! Any idea where you could’ve picked it up?”

“No clue… I wish I knew who gave it to me though, because I’m so mad at them.”

A few weeks later a similar conversation ensued with another acquaintance.

“I heard you tested positive! I’m so sorry and I hope you’re doing ok.”

“Oh, I’m totally fine. This isn’t my fault, it’s all because [insert name here] gave it to me!”

It’s not my fault. I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s this person’s fault. This person gave it to me. This isn’t on me it’s on them.

A realization began to dawn on me. Unfortunately, as humans we are so quick to pass the blame.

And this is nothing new. From the very beginning of humanity, there has been a part of our nature that doesn’t want to own up to our faults and also doesn’t want to accept the reality of the situation. Instead, we always look for someone to blame. From the very beginning of time we see this occurrence, in the way that man responds to God’s questioning after The Fall in the book of Genesis:

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“…God said, ‘Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.’” – Genesis 3:11-13

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Adam and Eve were playing as participants in the blame game. First, Adam blamed Eve for the sin they committed, and then Eve continued to blame the devil. Neither of them wanted to accept responsibility for their actions. Neither of them was willing to accept the situation for what it was. It had to be someone else’s fault.

How often do we behave the same way?

You might be thinking that this is an inaccurate analogy, and it is, but it deserves some consideration. What Adam and Eve were blaming each other for was a sin. They were truly at fault. On the flip side, however, contracting COVID is not a sin! Sure, there are some safety considerations which people ought to follow out of prudence and obedience, and there are times when people behave foolishly and get sick as a result. But many people end up catching the virus through completely innocent means. There is nothing morally wrong about getting COVID, and it is not a situation in which individuals are necessarily at fault. And yet, when we discuss the places and people from which it has been spread, how often do we approach it in this manner?

We have become experts at playing the blame game.

So if we can look at Adam and Eve, and realize how ridiculous it was for them to behave this way, how much more should we avoid pointing figures and putting the blame on people when it comes to COVID?

Getting sick or having to quarantine due to exposure is definitely not a walk in the park. There have been many inconveniences placed on all of us because of this pandemic.

However, my challenge to you is that we do not let those frustrations and annoyances take away from the charity and love which our neighbors deserve. When the temptation arises to point fingers or find someone to blame, why not use it as an opportunity to surrender ourselves and the current situation to the Lord? The blame game will not fix the problem, and it will not even make you feel any better. The only thing that will come from that game is more division, and that is something our world certainly doesn’t need.

The pandemic is stressful. But let us use it as a time to draw together, not to push each other away. We don’t have to behave as Adam and Eve did. We have the chance to start new tomorrow.

“In all things, charity.” – St. Augustine

Even COVID.