Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm
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Pandemic Parables was written during the COVID-19 pandemic when our world had become topsy-turvy! The COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2023) was a time of great political and personal unrest. Worldwide, more than 7.2 million people died. While many accounts describe causes and statistics, few books have been written about life during the pandemic when the effect of COVID on our culture and society turned us inward.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part of the book contains stories about people during the pandemic who attend a fictional congregation in Albuquerque, NM. Various characters include a restaurant owner, a recovering alcoholic, an avalanche victim, the loving son of a man dying from COVID-19, a couple eager for a big wedding, a relocating grandmother, and several others. Pastor Maria presents messages over Zoom, which I based on Harald Ibsen's (my father) old sermon notes with added new love sprinkles. The book ends with a description of The New Paradigm--Love, Truth, Wisdom, Openness, Light, Gratitude, Compassion, Intuition, Individuality, Community, Service, Equality, Justice, Cooperation, Balance. Our basic nature has changed due to a new balance of Divine Female and Male energies. Hopefully, life on earth will change. Sadly, numerous natural disasters are likely to continue-- storms, earthquakes, fires, famine. We must do everything we can to preserve the world we have. We can make a new world happen. New forces will dominate. The New Paradigm will be cosmic and personal. Help make it happen. Review by Herlene Badall
Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm is a profound and heartfelt literary response to one of the most defining global events of our time-the COVID-19 pandemic. Joy Marie Ibsen offers a unique contribution to pandemic literature by turning the lens inward, focusing not on statistics and politics, but on personal transformation, spiritual reflection, and communal resilience. Structured in two compelling parts, the book first unfolds through a series of fictional parables centered around the lives of congregants in a spiritual community in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Each character's story captures a different facet of the human experience during the crisis-grief, adaptation, isolation, hope, and love. These parables, enriched by the presence of Pastor Maria and rooted in the wisdom of the author's father, Harald Ibsen, bring a deeply compassionate and personal dimension to the broader, often overwhelming narrative of the pandemic. The inclusion of "love sprinkles" in the sermon-based reflections adds warmth, comfort, and a gentle spiritual anchor. The final section of the book introduces The New Paradigm, a visionary and aspirational framework built upon principles such as Love, Truth, Gratitude, Equality, and Balance. Drawing on both spiritual and philosophical ideals, Ibsen offers readers a hopeful roadmap for post-pandemic living-one where the balance of Divine Feminine and Masculine energies opens the door to healing, cooperation, and planetary stewardship. It is both a call to action and a poetic meditation on what humanity could become. More than a chronicle of pandemic times, this book is a tapestry of inner growth and cultural reawakening. It will appeal to readers who seek meaning amid chaos and who believe in the transformative power of spiritual wisdom and collective care. Pandemic Parables and the New Paradigm is an inspiring read for those interested in personal evolution, spiritual reflection, and envisioning a better, more conscious world in the wake of global crisis. —Herlene Badall / Authors Choice Editorial Reviewer |