Bill Jones: Prayers for the pandemic

During the early phase of the COVID-19 crisis when all events were being cancelled and the gym closed, I made a commitment to myself to do a bit more reading. I enjoy reading, but I never seem to make enough time for it.

I shared this desire with some friends and family and a friend sent me a very short piece written by Phyllis Cole-Dai, a poet and author from North Dakota. On her 58th birthday, Mrs. Cole-Dai wrote “58 Pandemic Prayers,” a collection of 58 simple, one-line meditations for a better life, better relationships and a better future.

Many of these lines are good inspirational and aspirational reflections. Some of the thoughts are rooted in the crisis, some in the social unrest and some in just being a better person. Not every line will resonate with every reader, but many will.

While all 58 lines have meaning, a few that truly stand out for me include:

• May we value health over wealth.

• May we dedicate our daily work both to those we love and to the common good.

• May we laugh from our bellies.

• May our children survive us all.

If I had to pick just one line that really grabbed me, however, it would be “May we recognize all people as kin.” So simple, yet so powerful. This line was particularly meaningful for me as I thought about my family and our work at the United Way of Wyoming Valley.

During the quarantine, my sister, just 12 months older than me, was in her final months of fighting a brain tumor. Because of the virus, I didn’t get to see her for most of the spring. When I saw her in late May, her body changed quite a bit due to the chemo and medications and I almost did not recognize her.

She was the oldest of the four siblings in our family and during her remaining months, the four of us talked a lot about what our family has meant to us. We weren’t perfect by any means, but our experiences shaped who we are today. There isn’t a thing we wouldn’t do for each other. Sadly, my sister’s fight ended in July and now there is one less member of the Jones kin.

I also recall the very unique perspective on kinship offered by the United Way’s 2018 campaign kickoff speaker, Father Greg Boyle. Boyle, a Jesuit priest and founder of the largest rehab center in the world for former gang members and those who have been incarcerated, calls on us to embrace the power of “radical kinship.” He talked a lot about United Way’s tag line, “LIVE UNITED” and believes that if we recognized everyone (and he does mean everyone) as family and kin, we would treat each other with more love and kindness. If we did, our community, and the world for that matter, would certainly be a better, more united place. I think Phyllis Cole-Dai is implying the same thing.

I have come to realize that I could do better recognizing others as kin. Perhaps we all could. Imagine if we all did.

Generally, family members care for each other. If we recognized and treated each other as family and kin, regardless of race, religion, political leanings, economic status, etc., we certainly would not have near the inequities, divisiveness and social unrest we have today.

If I could add a line to Phyllis Cole-Dai’s Pandemic Prayers, it would be this: May we all LIVE UNITED.