Answer:
The Value of Authentic Relationships
The common phrase that is circulating is “social distancing,” which describes the measures taken to restrict when and where people can gather to stop or slow the spread of the infectious disease. Ironically, with the onset of social media and the smartphone, most people have been “socially distancing” themselves for the past several years. It was commonplace to see people together in close proximity completely disengaged from one another and absorbed by their smartphone. Our world was increasingly a place of distraction and superficial relationships, longing for a deep sense of belonging and communion with one another. In our time of quarantine, we have the opportunity to reflect on how much we miss encountering others face-to-face without fear or danger. For now, our “social distancing” is a means of protecting them and ourselves—an act of love, not of rejection. May we learn to value our authentic interactions and come to see how life, especially our spiritual life, is a journey we undertake with others. We have to be willing to invest the time and energy to engage personally with other people and show interest in their lives that it may lead us to deeper communion.
