When we were young our parents and our school teachers always remind us to wash our hands. Washing it with soap and never touch our eyes and nose with dirty fingers.
Families put God first before everything regardless of color and religion, and after outside exposures we were told to immediately change our clothes to avoid contamination from outside bacteria. We were trained to cover our mouth when we cough and sneeze, and even told to be a step away when we do.
But technology and social media has changed the basics of our lives, everything has been overtaken by technology, including our faith. In all these developments, our lives has been changed.
Now, selfies and photos are taken first before prayers are said. For a wifi-powered house, uploading is done first before changing a damp clothing. Before, people and families talk a lot, more time for each other and problems are discussed in the confines of our homes. Problems are resolved among siblings.
Now, many relationship has been ruined because of misinterpretation, because text messages do not have emotions. Instead of the usual word to say sorry, many prefer to use emoji’s. Worse, problems are discussed in social media even before the family concerned finds it.
See! Technology changed a lot among humans, it changed a lot of things including the basic communication patterns among families.
The pandemic COVID-19 and the scare and fear it brings, however, brought some reminders that warrant change in some ways or habits in our lives; our faith and the basic fiber of our society, the family, has to go back to the basics of hygienic practices at home, in places of worships or even in public places where we congregate with the rest of the world.
Because the pandemic, mass gathering and social distancing is encouraged. One must stay at home to avoid contamination Good thing, the advisories brought about by fear has prompted government to ask people to avoid mass gatherings and stay at home and avoid mass exposure as a droplet of coronavirus-19 can cause miseries among persons.
It is with a high cost that we realize we are going back to basics, we are now told to wash our hands after every handshake. Our church leaders encouraged us to keep our faith, but this time-the usual holding hands has been discouraged, and online mass is encouraged. Now that people are advised to avoid public exposure, families have more time together back home. Families
have more time for each other and talk- the bond becomes more closer, and above all, faith is strengthened because family members pray together to ask God for protection.
It takes a COVID-19 pandemic for humans to realize we are going back to basics. In the next few months, when the threat is gone, let us hope that the basic practices which we adopted during the Covid-19 challenge, will become a habit — the basics which one must keep.
