Human Vulnerability
By Gabriel García V.
A reporter was asked if he had any of his former beliefs disproved of late. He replied, “Through this pandemic I have come to realize that there are several things that I don’t have under control.”1 He is not the first person to comment that the coronavirus pandemic has taught us we are not in control of the situation; that neither we as human beings, nor science, have all the answers. In other words, we are discovering our vulnerability.
Different fields of experts have explored the subject of human vulnerability. María de la Luz Casa Martínez, of the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics at the Panamerican University in Mexico City wrote:
The pandemic caused by the new virus COVID-19 has shaken humanity due to its serious repercussions in many fields, not only in health, but also at an economic, political, and social level. From the ethical perspective, crises always lead to reflection, and in this case, the re-encounter with an aspect of the human condition, vulnerability, has been evident. Today’s extreme hedonistic and autonomous society has tried to forget about this aspect, which makes it uncomfortable, but which cannot be ignored with this terrible crisis.
The pandemic has reminded us of our insecurity and vulnerability, our helplessness during great disasters—and how much we depend on God. It is as if the Most High was reminding us, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”2
The prophet Isaiah wrote that when God looks at us from above the circle of the earth, we look like ants, mere grasshoppers.3 In many ways, human wisdom has been brought low, shattered. Unless we base our understanding in God, our conclusions are in vain.
This vulnerability highlights the limits to our self-sufficiency when it comes to upheavals, cataclysms, and catastrophes. We also learn how fallible we are. The coronavirus exposed the weaknesses in our health systems.
On the other hand, realizing our frailty has had its positive side. It has driven us to be more sympathetic and caring with others. We are learning to empathize with those who are suffering, and through this we grow closer to each other. My wife, my sister, and I, as well as others within our circle of friends, have felt vulnerable as never before. We now realize how carefree we were pre-COVID. We took our lives for granted within our normal daily existence when suddenly we found that death was all around us.
Such was the case of our friend Patricio, who was on an artificial respirator for two weeks. He left the hospital a changed man, humbled and dependent on God. And Erik, a young father who seldom acknowledged God—in his desperate condition he felt the loving touch of his Creator, who restored his health, both physical and spiritual.
Experiencing vulnerability has been one of the best things that could have happened to undermine this false idea that we have everything under control. It is the Tower of Babel syndrome—this idea that with knowledge we are invincible and can reach unto the heavens.4 It’s a lesson that God has to teach each generation. When we get too proud, the Lord reminds us that we are “but dust,”5 and He once again brings us back to the humble realization that we are dependent on Him. With this crisis, God has us on our knees once again, and it’s good that He does. Owning our vulnerability get us closer to God and makes us better prepared for life’s vicissitudes.
In times of frailty and helplessness, if we begin to look to God, we will make better decisions, be kinder to others, and avoid the many traps and pitfalls that come with pride.
As the Gospel song says:
I thought number one would surely be me
I thought I could be what I wanted to be
I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand
But now I can’t even walk without you holding my hand
I thought I could do a lot on my own
I thought I could make it all day long
I thought of myself as a mighty big man
But Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand
Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand
The mountain’s too high and the valley’s too wide
Down on my knees that’s where I learned to stand
Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.6
1 Gonzalo Ramírez, El Sábado Magazine, 2021.
2 Psalm 46:10 ESV.
3 See Isaiah 40:22.
4 See Genesis 11:1–9.
5 Psalm 103:14.
6 “I Can’t Even Walk (Without You Holding My Hand)” by Colbert Croft and Joyce Croft.
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