Coronavirus as an Evolutionary Catalyst

18 Mar Coronavirus as an Evolutionary Catalyst

While panic grips the global population over the spread of the coronavirus, there is a deeper power here that is an evolutionary game-changer. I am not calloused to the tremendous suffering this is causing, but there is a great teaching to this crisis.

Systems theory tells us that a system needs disruption to evolve to the next level, that a stable system doesn’t change very much. This microscopically small virus is creating the perfect global disruption that is pushing humanity in the direction we need to go—faster than we were able to get there ourselves.

Here’s what I’m basing this on:

1. It is showing us that we are all globally connected. As the virus has rapidly spread from a single location in China to nearly every country in the world in just a few short weeks, the interconnected nature of all life on earth becomes blatantly clear. What happens in one part of the world effects us all.
   
   
2. It is combatting climate change. In the first two weeks of China’s outbreak, restricted air travel and reduced driving lowered China’s carbon footprint by 25%. In two weeks! Here’s before and after pictures of the air in Beijing.
   
   Now that most of Europe, all of Canada, and now parts of the US are locking down, we are finally doing, and with great haste, what the planet needs us to do to avert even more severe crises from climate change in the future. This will not last of course, but it is at least proving that we can do it and survive. It is showing us how.
   
   
3. It is reorganizing how we work. The past few years have brought us a plethora of video conferencing platforms, telecommuting options, and online courses. These are all enabling at least some aspects of work life to continue, without the usual driving and flying. Even more apps are being created to meet this new demand. Much of it will probably stick, long after the virus is gone.
   
   
4. It is demonstrating the need for universal health care. While certainly not a given legislatively, the idea that anyone left untested or untreated could infect others shows us that no one can be left behind medically in the treatment of this virus. We are all in this together.
   
   
5. It’s an economic game-changer. This is a big one with several components. First, the stock market crash is taking buckets of money away from the ultra wealthy. Second, lowering interest rates lowers the burden of debt for students, first time home buyers, and more. Third, there is at least flirtation with the idea of universal basic income, as we give people paid sick leave, increase unemployment benefits, due to business shutdowns, or Mitt Romney’s recent proposal to give every American $1000, no questions asked. If lockdowns proceed for a longer period of time, as is likely, the whole economy will need to be restructured.
   
   
6. It is a forcing a much-needed spiritual retreat for nearly everyone.
   As people all over the world face lockdown, we are forced to withdraw from our frenetic activity and stay home, spend time alone or with family, and reflect, maybe finish some of those books piling up on the bedside table.
   
   While it’s a financial hardship for countless businesses, it is also giving people a much needed sta-cation (vacation at home). It’s interesting that this has taken place during Lent, the period before Easter when Christians voluntarily make sacrifices for a spiritual deepening.
   
   I find myself doing more yoga than the gym, cleaning my closets, working in the garden, baking, and taking care of home projects long neglected. Wow, I’ve needed this for years!
   
   I’ve written much about how our current times in general are the catalysts of initiation for humanity’s rite of passage from the love of power to the power of love, the coronavirus is giving us the “confinement” part of the initiation process. This is where an initiate is separated from life as usual, confined to a small space (often blindfolded or tied up) in order to drive the consciousness inward, by not allowing it go outward for a period of time.
   
   
7. It is forcing global cooperation over a common enemy and focusing the world’s attention. Throughout history, a common enemy has always united a people, for better or worse. But this time the enemy is not another population to be killed, but a virus that cuts across race, gender, locations, and socioeconomic status (though unfortunately, as always, the less privileged are more deeply effected).
   
   Because this effects the whole world, we’re all talking about it at the same time and must be united against it. And while this may have a shadow side of neglecting other important news, it is the main topic of the global conversation right now, and focusing attention as a global community.
   
   
8. It shows us that Nature is self-regulating. This is both encouraging and discouraging. What it basically means is that if we don’t respect Nature, She will fight back. If we use this as a teaching and change our ways, we benefit. If we don’t, the next virus will be even worse.
   
   

What about the down sides? They are many as well. People are dying, without being able to say goodbye to their loved ones. Healthcare workers are overworked and over exposed, with too little supplies for their job. Businesses are failing because they can’t afford to close down or lose clientele. Millions of people who live one paycheck away from disaster are losing wages as their jobs close down. Market shelves are empty as people binge buy food and toilet paper.

These are tragic indeed, but they are also opening people’s hearts to work together.

And many of these things will inevitably happen anyway, if we don’t disrupt climate change.

I’m certainly not out in the streets jumping for joy over the coronavirus. But to offset the panic and despair, it is always helpful to look at the bigger picture. This is nature’s course correction, Gaia’s self-regulation, a system-wide upheaval for a higher, more efficient and ecological reorganization.

The sooner we get on board with how the game needs to change, the less we need the suffering side of this kind of game-changer.

Yours in Evolution,
Anodea Judith
3-18-2020

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