Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World

By Christine Galib and Giselle Harrington

When a global pandemic threatens the very foundation of our society, what hope for healing does a hurting world have? 

Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World is a collection of beautifully illustrated short stories and refle

• Language: English
• Publisher: road less traveled enterprises
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781955824019

Christine Galib

The odds are very good that as you're reading this, Christine Galib is reading, writing, running, or taking the road less traveled. She loves getting lost in a good book and can be found at christinegalib.com.

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Dedication

For my family

For those seeking the Light

For our first responders, frontline workers,

teachers, caregivers, small business owners:

the heroes of 2020

Remembering all who passed away

and thinking of all who experienced loss

in 2020 and 2021

Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.

– Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto XXXIV

Preface

Parables sit in the space between fiction and fact, enchanting and enlightening us with characters that make us think, ask questions, and learn lessons. Why read parables?

Because sometimes, and perhaps most times, fiction teaches us more truths than fact does. Every day, since the beginning of time, we have told each other stories. These stories change our identity—by forcing us to understand and engage with the identity of others; change our humanity—by forcing us to realize how cruelty to one person threatens all people; change our future—by forcing us to reckon with our past; and change our world—by showing us evil can be beaten, not convincing us evil exists.

We do not need to be convinced evil exists. It exists—and exists in spades, as a reoccurring reminder we have fallen from grace and as a sordid shadow on civilization. As John Milton powerfully paints it, it is a darkness visible that clouds our vision, reminding us on this side of Heaven, we have, indeed, lost Paradise. So no, in our broken and hurting world, we do not need to be convinced evil exists. All we have to do is open our eyes and see its pervasive presence.

It is precisely since evil exists, that we must realize it can be—and indeed has been—beaten. As Neil Gaiman said, Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. Dragons can be beaten. As dragons continue to breathe a seemingly ever-intensifying fire that sears suffering into the most sensitive spots in our souls, we must hold onto the truth that these dragons have been beaten—no matter how invisible this truth seems. This truth is the only light by which we can see that there is a power stronger than even the most threatening dragon. Once we see this truth, we see everything else in our lives by it.

Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World is a collection of stories followed by reflection questions. These stories show us that despite the darkness visible, there is a light eternal—a light that illuminates even the darkest nights and darkest times. As we walk alongside the characters in Parables, we see their world, experiences, thoughts, and struggles. Perhaps we even see ourselves in these characters, too.

In this way, Parables becomes a mirror that reflects our own world, experiences, thoughts, and struggles. Parables invites us to examine more closely what we see reflected in this mirror: the broken and the beautiful, the gritty and the graceful, and the merciless and the merciful. We find ourselves asking questions—questions that change our identity, our humanity, our future, and our world. And the more we see what this mirror reflects, the clearer we see the truth: the truth that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, if we follow the Light of the world, our journey does not end in darkness, but in the magnificent presence of a radiant glory that has conquered darkness forever.

In the end, good wins. Good has already won. So, there will be a day when evil loses, once and for all. Just like in the great stories, only this story is far more than a great story: it is the best story ever told, because it is the Truth. It is because of this Truth that we have hope—and have it in eternal abundance.

A Revolution

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

An invisible enemy wreaks painful havoc

Breathing becomes a race against the clock

The things we established and structures of old

Are the things we can no longer have and hold

Distancing and dividing, we stay safe at home

Unable to freely gather or roam

Restrictions for our safety are put in place

Video meetings connect us face to face

Communing and connecting, we Zoom through our day

Not sure what is the right or wrong way

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

Surely some revelation is at hand

A rebirth, a recreation, a revolution across our land

 . . .

A Revolution Reflection Questions

Read A Revolution. What imagery comes to mind for you? How does the poem make you feel? What words, phrases, or scenes stick out to you? What tone does A Revolution set for Parables from the Pandemic?

To you, what is the invisible enemy the poem references?

In a world that is experiencing mere anarchy, what or who makes you feel safe? Where do you feel safe?

The collective we is referenced several times throughout the poem. To whom could this we be referring?

What is at stake when we are uncertain as to what is right or wrong?

What revelation, rebirth, recreation, or revolution could be at hand?

Practical Application:

What lessons from Jesus’ teaching come to mind as you reflect on or discuss A Revolution?

What Scripture comes to mind and how does that Scripture shape your understanding of A Revolution?

Read The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats. What do you notice about the first lines of A Revolution and why do you think the author made this choice? How does this choice connect the two poems? As you compare the two poems, what new themes, morals, or lessons emerge for you? What takeaways from The Second Coming or A Revolution could you apply to your own life?

What other questions come up for you as you read A Revolution?

Tweet Lyfe

A world where we have 280 characters to tell our truth; each hashtag needs a handbook to clarify its meaning; a meme is worth more than 1000 peer-reviewed papers; false choices are taught as facts; we crave a byte of knowledge, drown in data, and yet thirst for the #Truth. #IDK

Tweet Lyfe Reflection Questions

Read Tweet Lyfe. What imagery comes to mind for you? How does Tweet Lyfe make you feel? What words or phrases stick out to you?

Consider the sources from which you obtain your information. How do you know these sources are authentic, valid, and reliable? What qualities help you discern whether you can trust your sources?

To you, what is the difference between knowledge, data, and truth?

What is an example of something that is true for you, but not necessarily true for someone else? When you hear phrases like my truth, our truth, or the truth, what do you think of?

How would you describe the concept of the truth to an alien from another planet?

In our society, do you think our truth and the truth are the same or different? In your experience, when have they been the same and when have they been different? When and for whom might our truth and the truth always be the same?

Practical Application:

What lessons from Jesus’ teaching come to mind as you reflect on or discuss Tweet Lyfe?

What Scripture comes to mind and how does that Scripture shape your understanding of Tweet Lyfe?

What morals or lessons emerge for you from Tweet Lyfe? What takeaways from Tweet Lyfe could you apply to your own life?

What other questions come up for you as you read Tweet Lyfe?