By SirKay.
Some of the words that have been used to describe the days in which we live are unprecedented, unthinkable, unbelievable, incredible, etc. The world has so changed in the last year; we might as well be living in an alternate reality. The things we would have considered abnormal are now becoming our daily realities – and the frightening thing is, we are adapting to these new realities, and they are fast becoming our new normal.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed changes that seemed unthinkable” just over a year ago. “In February 2020, it seemed unthinkable the entire white-collar workforce of many countries would soon be working solely from home. It seemed unthinkable air travel would plummet” by 96%.
EY[1]https://www.ey.com/en_uk/covid-19/will-you-define-the-new-normal-or-watch-it-unfold
One of the most impacting new normal is that fact that our lives are becoming more virtual than ever before. More office spaces are becoming empty as institutions shun the physical office spaces in favour of working virtually. And with the advent of 5G, the capability of remote working has drastically increased.
Closely related to this is the way the new normal is now fast affecting the career terrain. Some careers will simply not be able to survive the wind of change brought on by the Pandemic. As it stands, a huge percentage of restaurants have gone under as a result of the lockdown, which in turn has resulted in the increase of services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and Just-Eat, leading to the decline in restaurant jobs like table waiting, but giving rise to what is now known as geek employment. The new normal is now eating out at home. See Positioning Yourself For Growth In The New Normal
The new reality is altering the learning terrain. Many institutions are unable to hold normal classes as before. Many online training institutions are now emerging; you can obtain new qualifications without stepping into the four walls of an institution. Although accessible, on the flip side, the human interaction that goes along with learning – the soft skill development, is going to be lacking. See A Flourishing Education In The New Normal
Invariably, this raises concern about mental wellbeing and social skill development in society. The issue of wellbeing is more compounded by the projection by the authorities that the Covid (and its variants) are likely here to stay and we may have to learn to live with it. With that comes the likelihood that vaccination will become an on-going thing and people might need a vaccine passport in for international travel. Rutgers University in New Jersey[2]https://www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-require-covid-19-vaccine-students has made covid passport mandatory before any of its students can come on campus. These are signs of things to come – the way our lives are likely to be lived in the future. With the world going virtual and reduction in physical interaction, there is a need to proactively put plans in place to ensure our physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.
Dear parents, what does the New Normal mean to your children?
Dear husbands and wives, what does your spouse need to thrive during this period?
Dear young person and job seeker, continuous professional growth requires new strategies in the New Normal. How do we engage with these?
What does this all mean for Christians? What impact is this new normal having or going to continue to have on the Christian community? One of the most obvious impact is the ability to gather as before. Already, virtually all Churches have been affected by the lockdowns and most houses of worships might not be able to recover the same level of attendance that existed prior to the pandemic. The almost one year of lockdown has caused some members to experience spiritual decline. Many people are afraid of meeting in large gatherings for fear of contracting the disease. When people do gather, the warm handshake and warm fellowship seems to have all but disappeared. No doubt, drastic steps need to be taken to restore warm fellowship and recover those that have since drifted away from fellowship.
How do we engage with others and tell them of God’s amazing love in the New Normal? and reach out to the isolated in our communities?
Dive into the 2nd edition of Grace & Truth to get some answers to these questions and more.