At this point you have probably received many emails relating to Covid-19. These messages may have provided you updates on the status of events or gatherings, outlined precautions a business is taking to prevent the spread, or shared what you can do to help the most vulnerable in our communities.
I did not plan to be writing one of these emails, but not to mention this crisis felt like a mistake. I had planned, however, to write about interdependence and it occurred to me that these messages are actually perfectly matched for this time.
Interdependence is one of the cornerstones of restorative justice and derives directly from teachings and wisdom from Native communities that stress not only our connectedness to other humans, but to all other creatures and to the planet. Sherri Mitchell, an Indigenous rights activist, teacher, and member of the Penobscot Nation, articulates this sentiment beautifully in her book, Sacred Instructions. She writes:
My traditional teachings tell me that I am part of one living system, and that the actions I take within this system impact the whole […] We have to recognize how the entire creation flows together, to understand its interdependence and interrelatedness, and then acknowledge our place within it. Wholeness is not a goal that we achieve. It’s not a place that we can get to; it is an awareness that awakens within us. It unfolds slowly before our eyes as we expand our vision to see the larger picture.
This principle of interdependence is why a restorative conflict or harm process includes not only those most closely involved but also others who may have been impacted – friends, family, neighbors, observers, and so on. This practice understands that an incidence of harm affects whole communities with all kinds of ripple effects. That is why whole communities must also be involved in the transformation process, to create lasting and meaningful change.
A global pandemic like Covid-19 has proven this same point with tragic and startling clarity. What happens to one deeply affects the whole. This is equally true of the damage caused by the virus as it is of the work necessary to heal from it. Most of us are probably quite familiar now with the concept of social distancing and other actions required to “flatten the curve” and contain the spread. As scary, alienating, and disarming as this moment is, it also reminds us of our individual power and responsibility to look out for the health of the whole.
What we know now more than ever is that we have to hold each other up and look to others when we need to be held. We are not in this alone. We never were. Whether it is reaching out to those that are isolated, providing mutual aid to those in need, reorganizing our events and lives, we are honoring the profound ways that we are connected to each other. I hope, amidst the fear and pain, there is some solace and perhaps long-term transformation that comes out of that truth.