Even before we start eating, our class 12 pupil launches in: “Hey, imagine, Drosten [a prominent German virologist] says it would be best if we all behaved as if we were infected and wanted to protect everyone else from the virus. Does that mean, then, that everyone should act as if they were infected, but are healthy? But if everyone is infected, then there would be no need for any action? I don’t get it.” – “What?”, asks the class 4 pupil, “everyone in our class is healthy. The Russian teacher was in quarantine because she travelled from one risk area into another and some found it cool to wear a mask and pretend we were frightened of her.” – The class 7 pupil butts in: “I’ve already got so used to the mask. Today in eurythmy lesson we were allowed to take it off at the window for a breath of fresh air.” – Three children, three worlds between appearance and reality.

And the teachers? Regulations and laws have to be followed, at least from an institutional perspective. A few refuse to do so and warnings follow. And the parents? Some man the barricades, others threaten to report the school. The (Waldorf) schools are in a fight.

What to do? Things will continue like this for some time.

The most important thing: respect for the opinions and outlook of others. We live in a democracy! And another thing: schools don’t have to be classroom teaching – so, let’s think outside the box and conquer new spaces. And most important of all: find a spiritual basis which enables dialogue between those who are convinced that the regulations are correct and those who reject them.

The Three Kings saw the star which they followed and encountered the miracle. They left without, as promised, telling King Herod where they had been and thus enabled the Holy Family to flee to Egypt. They acted in a spiritually truthful way. How can we find back to spiritually truthful action out of spiritual knowledge?