"«I can’t wait for this to be over.»

In the month since the UK entered lockdown, I have heard this refrain echoed countless times by friends, colleagues, and strangers. It’s entered my own mind at times. But, while it’s a temptingly easy thing to say, it’s also deeply tragic.

Of course, on one level, this phrase is merely expressing a desire for an end to human pain and death. And that’s natural, reasonable. We long for an end to suffering, and have a duty to work and pray for an end to illness. After all, we are made for a place where “God will wipe every tear from [our] eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain.”

However, more commonly, this phrase is uttered from an individualistic perspective. It gives voice to the fear of sacrifice, resistance to uncertainty, and frustration with the mundane. Ultimately, it often reflects a lack of hope and interest in the reality in front of us and a desire to exchange it for one that we can control.

This is deeply wrong. Yes, we are asked to make extraordinary sacrifices these days. But we need not wait for this to be over, because our life is now. The circumstances in front of us – home working, social distancing, the suspension of public Masses, even the suffering and fear – are the only ones that exist. Reality is not a waste of time; dreaming of a future reality that does not exist, on the other hand, is."

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