The coronavirus continues to dominate each and every news cycle, touching as it does nearly every aspect of our lives. And the vast majority of the time, that news has not been very good. Most of it has been downright grim as news anchors dutifully report each day’s statistics regarding COVID-19’s spread in America and abroad.
But sometimes, terrible crises also bring out unexpectedly redemptive outcomes. And as I’ve scanned the news the last week or so, a number of those stories have gotten my attention like a ray of sunlight streaming through thick, grey clouds. And I thought it might be a refreshing change of pace to focus on a couple of those stories today.
First up: teddy bears. That’s right, teddy bears have begun turning up all over the place—in windows, in yards, peering out from behind blinds—all sorts of places. The bears are part of a viral movement to encourage families with young children, many of whom have begun going on “teddy bear hunts” in their neighborhoods to pass the time.
USA Today reports on mother Allison Angell of Monmouth, Maine, who told a local TV station:
For about an hour we didn’t think about anything else that was happening in the world. It was just about the bears. The kids sat in the back seat. My daughter kept a tally. We kept looking, and it was only that, and I had completely forgotten what was going on until we pulled back into the yard.
Other feel-good stories are turning up in the news, too.
Matthew McConaughey, for instance, played virtual bingo online with Texas seniors at The Enclave at Round Rock. Try not to smile watching this video:
Virtual Bingo with Matthew McConaughey!
Ever play virtual bingo with #MatthewMcConaughey? You’d be a whole lot cooler if you did! The residents at The Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living got to play virtual bingo with #MatthewMcConaughey and his family! Thank you to Matthew, his wife Camila, and his mom Kay for hosting our residents for a few rounds of virtual bingo! Our residents had a great time playing, and they loved talking with Matthew about his family heritage and his favorite drink.
Posted by The Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living on Sunday, April 5, 2020
Also pretty great is the fact the Jonas Brothers made a video for Make-a-Wish-Foundation kids that they hope to visit but can’t at the moment due to the obvious travel and social distancing restrictions in play. All three brothers recorded messages, with Kevin Jonas’ words perhaps best summing up the spirit of the JoBros communication to these very sick children: “We know a lot of these wishes have been canceled with everything that has been going on, but we just hope you know that you are loved and we think you guys are the greatest.”
Pink belted out an emotion-packed version of “Joyful, Joyful” to her young son in the bathtub:
Not to be outdone (though it’s not a competition, mind you), Dwayne Johnson has taught his daughter to rap lines from his Moana song “You’re Welcome” while washing her hands for 20 seconds. (Note: This adorable video does include a shirtless Johnson in a towel, though his delightful interaction with his daughter takes center stage here.)
What’s that? You want more heartwarming stories? Well, let me see …
Tough guy Mark Wahlberg tweeted on Palm Sunday, “Just thinking about everybody. We still have faith and we have each other, so let’s stay strong. God bless you guys. I love you.”
And readers of a certain age might remember the name of actress Alison Arngrim, who played the decidedly nasty little nemesis Nellie Oleson on the TV show Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1983. The 58-year-old actress has been reading author Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved books on her Facebook page while wearing a bonnet:
Posted by Alison Arngrim on Tuesday, April 7, 2020
I am truly overwhelmed by the response I’ve gotten from doing these readings. I initially did it for me, because I found the books to be such a comfort. But the ‘Little House’ fans have certainly been there for me all these years, so it only made sense that we should reach out to each other during this frightening time. … I hope this inspires people not to suffer through this alone, to reach out to friends, family, neighbors – yes, even folks on the Internet—and support each other any way they can. These are indeed terrifying times and we don’t know how long this will go on. We may have to social distance and isolate and quarantine, but we don’t really have to do it alone. We have each other.
Meanwhile, new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is just one of myriad celebrities and athletes making charitable contributions during the coronavirus outbreak. Brady has partnered with the private aviation company Wheels Up to provide 10 million meals for its “Meals Up” initiative.
Prior to about a month or so ago, most of us had never heard of White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. But his calm demeanor on the news practically every day has quickly made Fauci an unlikely celebrity and hero in the battle against the coronavirus. Fox reports that back in 2006, Fauci, a devout Catholic, talked about the role his faith had played in his career, saying that his Jesuit training has taught him to be “a perpetual student.”
Another national figure playing an important role battling COVID-19 is Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who is also a man of deep faith. On April 2, Adams talked with Focus on the Family President Jim Daly on Focus’ Daily Broadcast. Among other things, Adams said:
People are anxious. They need to know that there is a larger plan, a Higher Power at work and amidst all of this tragedy there are some tremendous opportunities to come together with your family, to love more deeply, to—to do things that we haven’t made time to do in the past, and my hope is that we’ll be able to salvage some good out of this time that we’ve been given while we also work to minimize the harm and the tragedy that comes out of this.
The coronavirus is unlike any crisis we’ve ever faced before, because we’re all enduring its effects in different ways. Plugged In will continue to help your family navigate the crisis when it comes to your entertainment and technology choices. On a more expanded level, Focus on the Family is striving to create resources that will enable your faith and your family to strive during this difficult time as well. For more practical, encouraging and inspiring content related to the coronavirus, we encourage you to visit https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-time-during-the-coronavirus-quarantine/ and check out the many articles and resources Focus has collected there.
Finally this week, it may not feel like any Holy Week we’ve traversed before as we approach Easter. But we look forward to celebrating with believers around the world—even if that has to be through a remote video experience—the reality that Jesus Christ died on our behalf and rose again on the third day that we might experience abundant, eternal life as we place our faith in Him. And in a world of bad news, that gospel message of truly good news reverberates powerfully indeed.
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