Dear friends,
I’m a strong believer that there is a spiritual purpose behind everything that happens, whether that is what we perceive as being good or being bad.
親愛的朋友們，
我一直堅信每件事情，無論是好事還是壞事，背後都有它精神層面的意義。
As I meditate upon this, I want to share with you what I feel the Corona/ Covid-19 virus is really doing to us:
當我復盤新冠肺炎對我們做了些什麼的時候，我想跟大家分享下我的一些看法。
1) It is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how famous we are. This disease treats us all equally, perhaps we should too. If you don’t believe me,
just ask Tom Hanks.
1）它提醒我們人人平等。無論你是什麼樣的文化背景、哪個種族、職業狀況、經濟水平以及是否是名人，這個病毒一視同仁，或許，我們也應該平等的對待他人。不信的話，去問問Tom Hanks（阿甘的扮演者）。
2) It is reminding us that we are all connected and something that affects one person has an effect on another. It is reminding us that the false borders that we have put up have little value as this virus does not need a passport. It is reminding us, by oppressing us for a short time, of those in this world whose whole life is spent in oppression.
2）它提醒我們，我們的命運是聯繫在一起的。某件事兒影響一個人的同時也會影響到另一個人。它提醒我們，我們設立的所謂的國境線沒什麼意義，病毒不需要護照。它也提醒我們，我們受到它的壓迫是一時的，但世界上有些人這輩子都受著壓迫。
3) It is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking water that is contaminated with chemicals upon chemicals. If we don’t look after our health, we will, of course, get sick.
3）它提醒我們，健康彌足珍貴。如果我們不關心自身健康，一直吃垃圾食品、喝各種添加劑飲料，自然會生病。
4) It is reminding us of the shortness of life and of what is most important for us to do, which is to help each other, especially those who are old or sick. Our purpose is not to buy toilet roll.
4）它提醒我們，人生苦短。我們應該做的事情是去幫助身邊的人，特別是老弱病殘，而不是去搶廁紙。
5) It is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how, when in times of difficulty, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food, water, medicine)
as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give value to.
5）它提醒我們，我們的社會已經變得物質至上。當困難真正來臨時，我們才知道生活的必需品是食物、水、藥物而不是奢侈品。
6) It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and
to strengthen our family unit.
6）它提醒我們，家庭的重要性。它讓我們回歸了一度忽視的家庭，讓我們重溫天倫之樂。
7) It is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do.
Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another.
7）它提醒我們，我們真正的工作是互相照應而不是打的那份工。人類被創造出來不是為了打工，而是為了相互扶持，患難與共。
8) It is reminding us to keep our egos in check. It is reminding us that no matter how great we think we are or how great others think we are, a virus can bring our world to a standstill.
8）它提醒我們，不要狂妄自大、不可一世。無論我們覺得自己有多了不起，一個病毒就可以讓全世界停滯。
9) It is reminding us that the power of freewill is in our hands. We can choose to cooperate and help each other, to share, to give, to help and to support each other or we can choose to be selfish, to hoard, to look after only our self. Indeed, it is difficulties that bring out our true colors.
9）它提醒我們，自由掌握在自己手中。我們可以選擇合作共贏、互相幫助，去分享、付出、互相扶持，也可以選擇自私自利。是磨難讓我們認清現實。
10) It is reminding us that we can be patient, or we can panic. We can either understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and, consequently, cause ourselves more harm than good.
10）它提醒我們，我們可以有耐心，也可以焦慮不安。以史為鑑，這類事件發生過很多次，最終都過去了；但我們也會恐慌，覺得世界末日即將來臨。過度的恐慌只會傷害自己。
11) It is reminding us that this can either be an end or a new beginning. This can be a time of reflection and understanding, where we learn from our mistakes, or it can be the start of a cycle which will continue until we finally learn the lesson we are meant to.
11）它提醒我們，這既可以是個終點也可以是個全新的開始。我們在這次疫情中反思過去的錯誤，總結經驗，同時在時間的長河中不斷學習。
12) It is reminding us that this Earth is sick. It is reminding us that we need to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off of shelves. We are sick because our home is sick.
12）它提醒我們，地球病了。當我們看到貨架上廁紙沒了，我們也該看看，整個地球森林消失的速度有多快。我們病了，是因為我們的家園得病了。
13) It is reminding us that after every difficulty, there is always ease. Life is cyclical, and this is just a phase in this great cycle. We do not need to panic; this too shall pass.
13）它提醒我們，越過困難，終會苦盡甘來。人生是周期性的，疫情是這個大周期中的一小段，都會去過的，我們沒有必要恐慌。
14) Whereas many see the Corona/ Covid-19 virus as a great disaster, I prefer to see it as a *great corrector*. It is sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn them or not.
14）大部分人認為新冠肺炎是一場災難，而我更覺得它是一次難能可貴的「糾錯」。它過來提醒我們安不忘危，否則歷史的車輪會再次無情的碾壓人類。
Yours，
Bill