It’s 2020 and the Corona Pandemic has taken over the airwaves. We don’t know yet what this thing will end up doing to us, but so far it seems to be really good at bringing anything resembling “business as usual” to a halt.
There seems to be something missing in the news reporting on this situation. Media outlets are peppering us with stats, info about where the virus came from, what it can do to us and how we should act to protect ourselves and each other. But it’s hard to find out what could’ve caused it. And there’s precious little wondering about what it can end up meaning for the future should we take this opportunity to reimagine our relationship with the planet and each other.
What if the current, interest based economy collapses under its own burden – what might eventually come to take its place? And what could our future look and smell like if we reject the temptation to rush back to “business as usual” when this has blown over?
Is the corona crisis a horrific affliction or a golden opportunity? Or is it both?
About Stephen Jenkinson
Stephen Jenkinson is known in some circles as the Angel of Death. He’s worked for many years with palliative care and has guided hundreds of people through their dying times. Some call him a spiritual activit and some simply a poet. He runs a school called the Orphan Wisdom School in his native Canada. Stephen is a farmer and an author of several books, including “Die Wise – a manifesto for sanity and soul” and “Come of Age – the case for elderhood in a time of trouble”. He has a master’s degree in theology from Harvard University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Toronto. Along with acclaimed musician Gregory Hoskins and band, Stephen has offered the show Nights of Grief & Mystery to sold out houses on three continents, and was supposed to be on the road right now with the 2020 rendition of that show. When we catch up with him, he’s instead in corona-lockdown at his home in Ontario, Canada.
Links
Photo credit: Ian MackKenzie. More on his work here.
To get a feel for Stephen Jenkinson’s show “Nights of Grief and Mystery” we highly recommend this short film titled Lost Nation Road.
The music in this episode comes from the duo Hang Massive.
We’ve made two previous interviews with Stephen Jenkinson: On Death and Dying and The Rest of the Questions.
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