“Cursed is the ground because of you” (Genesis, 3:17 – NKJV)

Today, the coronavirus is one more proof, among a thousand other proofs, of the inability of modern man to face himself and his environment. The truth is that we cannot live peacefully in a world that, most of the time, looks like a nest of snakes. While there are many pieces to the COVID-19 puzzle, and I certainly can’t address all of them, I’d like to share with you a few thoughts about the current pandemic and relate them to a more philosophical argument.

In early December 2019, the virus outbreak began. But it was only on March 11, 2020, that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, after the disease caused thousands of cases. Back then, according to the WHO, the risk to people who did not live in China was very low. Could not be farther from the truth. Apparently, organizations have their own ways, and it seems to take thousands of deaths to get a dinosaur-like bureaucratic structure on the right track. This is a large family of viruses that are collectively known as the coronavirus. How come the so-called experts couldn’t have seen it coming? This glitch claimed the lives of so many! In fact, they are experts at excusing themselves, their organizations, their industry, or their political agenda for not having foreseen the problem.

Now, let’s remember that disease transmissions from animals, insects to humans are not that uncommon. A pneumonia of unknown causes was detected in people around an animal market. Have you ever heard of that? That is not completely foreign to us. If you are a great scientist, your mind automatically makes predictions about the future of your field, even when you are not aware of it. Of course, beyond that, what you learn in one area can often be applied to others. Not long ago, researchers in the field of artificial intelligence were optimistic that highly capable machines would exist within a few decades. What I want to know is this: where are those damn machines now? Where’s a good HAL 9000 to help those guys anticipate catastrophe and calculate viral genetic variation before it turns into something else?

The gradual replacement of men and women by machines to carry out the functions of life is a characteristic of our time. But there is one area where no machine, no matter how complex, can act for its creator. This is the area of ​​empathic understanding. Now and always, only the human being will favor compassion.

I think anyone will agree with me that it is not easy to make sense of life due to the chaos and arbitrariness in which we live. We are increasingly dissatisfied with the narrow-mindedness of the politicians and bureaucrats around us. Despite everything, we must draw attention to the storehouse of human resources that we carry within. The search for meaning raises questions, for example: where do I fit into the whole of life? Shadow effect or not, we must fight this thing with all our might. The weight of history is once again on our heads. Indeed, there are many lessons to be learned in the midst of the storm. Let’s not waste time with vulgar vanities and selfishness.