NO COMMUNICATION:
On July 29, 2026, retired medical doctor Anthony Fauci was brought before the US Senate, in a hearing led by medical doctor turned senator, Rand Paul. Fauci was accused of grave wrongdoings before and during the COVID pandemic. Despite multiple questions and statements from senators, Dr. Fauci refused to answer, citing the 5th Amendment.
The questions and issues raised by this hearing are important. But one thing that may be even more important is how the proceedings so accurately reflect the horrible communication we have in our country right now. One person talks and the other refuses to listen. People talk at others instead of to them. Words are used as weapons instead of tools of connection. The more polite people remove themselves from the conversation and then complain later. The impolite rant on and on, whether someone listens or not.
Many questions remain regarding COVID, including how research should be best regulated to prevent the creation of super-pathogens, whether COVID was engineered in a laboratory in Wuhan, and what is the best role for public health in outbreaks. But one thing is clear: we are still unable to talk to each other about COVID. A way forward will never be found if we can’t talk, or if we only talk through lawyers. There can be no agreement without discussion. Without the exchange of ideas, there can be no democracy at all.
In this hearing, two extremely intelligent physicians, two people of good intent, who identify as Christians, could not dialogue. “It is like we are suffering with a sort of post-COVID sickness on a national scale,” I wrote as I explored this issue in my book, Those Three Years (see www.thosethreeyears.com). As a general physician, I see the Paul-Fauci “discussion” as a sign of this disease. The prescription is not easy to take, though it is available to all of us.
First, we need to grieve. We all lost during COVID: some grieve loved ones who passed, others lost friends and family members to endless disagreements. Still others lost jobs and freedoms. We need to acknowledge our hurts, our pain, and our trauma. Second, we need to start listening to each other, especially those we disagree with. That does not mean we have to affirm everything they say, but we must be patient enough to find the person within the hurt. Lastly, we need to forgive each other. There are still consequences to behavior, and trust must be earned. But our bitterness and anger over what we lost during COVID is wounding us even more. The bible says to forgive others as God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). A tough pill to swallow, but the only path to national healing.
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