America on the Brink

Chapter Four America is Not Ready for the Next Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed this country in ways that will take decades to understand and address. A year and a half into this historic time, the world is exhausted and operating on reserves with no clear end date in sight. Over the past year, I have been reflecting on two incisive quotes from staff writers at The Atlantic, George Packer and Ed Young. The first is short and to the point. Packer said, “The coronavirus has revealed a sick and unequal society incapable of self-government.” As a scholar of Bible and religion, the idea of the pandemic acting as a catalyst, exposing the realities of our sick and unequal society, resonated with me. In scripture, God reveals and exposes truth about humanity in unorthodox ways. Throughout history, societies get locked into unhealthy and oppressive patterns and refuse to change. The Sovereign One reveals the true character of these nations. God uses nature, animals, disease, even corrupt neighboring nations to bring judgment. No one knows the mind of God or can anticipate the ways the divine will engage in the world. But, I cannot help wondering what broader role God is playing in these current events. Is God using the COVID-19 pandemic to expose America? If so, why? The second quote is from Ed Young’s article titled, “Anatomy of an American Failure.” Young offers a harsh yet accurate critique of our crisis management. How did it come to this? A virus a thousand times smaller than a dust mote has humbled and humiliated the planet’s most powerful nation. America has failed to protect its people, leaving them with illness and financial ruin. It has lost its status as a global leader. It has careened between inaction and ineptitude. The breadth and magnitude of its errors are difficult, in the moment, to truly fathom…Despite ample warning, the U.S. squandered every possible opportunity to control the coronavirus. And despite its considerable advantages – immense resources, biomedical might, scientific expertise – it floundered. We have and continue to mishandle this virus, at incredible cost. Much of the damage and loss we have faced was entirely preventable. It is both baffling and shameful. Much attention has been given to the failure of the government on all levels from federal to state and local. However, we all share a measure of blame. It is easy to blame others, especially politicians. It is much harder to examine ourselves and how we may have contributed to the chaos. It is painful to recognize the ways our behavior and response might have led to job loss, small business closures, the suffering of others, and even death. In hindsight, it is important to acknowledge that we all could have done better. We all could been more selfless, gracious, and wise in our decisions as we navigated the challenges of the pandemic.

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