Last year, 2020, the term “Virtual Learning” first came on the scene as the world adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll get to “virtual” in a moment. First, let me tell you what I just learned as I prepared for this blog post.
I asked the web, “What is the origin of the term ‘COVID’?” The answer was startling! “The WHO named the virus.” The Who!? What nut allowed a rock and roll group of the ’70s to name a virus? A more observant and thoughtful examination of the answer made it clear that The World Health Organization named the virus. I didn’t linger long in the initial reaction, but that was my first intellectual response.
In the body of the article was this explanation of COVID-19: Co = Corona (as that of our sun), VI= virus, “D” = disease, “19” is the year it was identified. The long name is Coronavirus, 2019.
Now you know as much as I do and we can move on. All my life, “virtual” was a synonym of “almost.” To me, saying,” I almost made a “B” in algebra is equivalent to saying “I virtually made an A.” For me, virtual learning was getting a high school diploma but not getting a thorough education in the basics; I was virtually educated, almost. So, I entered Belmont University as a virtually competent student. The end of the first semester was virtually a success.
Thus far, the last half of my life has been spent filling in the gaps of my “virtual” education. Now I have a more complete education.
The little Latin word “virtus” gave birth to the word “vitural,” with the meaning used in “virtual learning” around 1959. It started out in the thirteenth century meaning “excellence, potency, efficacy;” literally, “manliness, manhood.” (There is also a feminine correlating definition.) During the fourteenth century, “virtus” took on a shade of meaning as something in essence or effect though not actual. Finally, in 1959, “virtual” accepted a computerized application as something with no physical existence but an appearance of reality made possible by computer software. And, obviously, that is how educators use it for the online classroom. The fear is that the virtual classroom will yield a crop of diplomaed humans virtually educated and stumbling about without acceptable social virtues.
All this interesting, but virtually useless, information does have an application to our spiritual lives. Over the decades of my attending religious meetings and as being a pastor, I have come to see that a lot of us attend religious gatherings but fail to give God our attention. It seems to be an acceptable religious norm to offer God “attentionless” attendance. We humans seem to naturally walk through our days expecting God to be attentive to our needs and yet obliviously to His magnificent provisions and unlimited presence around us. We plead for God to act on our behalf while being less than half awake to His reality. Your circumstance today is not a “virtual classroom;” it’s the real deal!
As a result, our spiritual lives are virtually powerless to maintain a sense of joy, peace, and goodness. While God is too virtuous to be seen with the tainted human eye, He is no less attending each moment of all life, the good and the bad, the shameful and the glorious. That is just what Love does! We may not see God, but He is in no way virtually present. He IS near.
There would be a lot more harmony between humans if there was a little less “virtual” between God and His creation.
Photo – One of the six different chessboards I made for the grandsons. (The four granddaughters got jewelry boxes.)
Baldwin Heirlooms 