Human creativity is inspiring, particularly through adversity.

Consider creative solutions during the pandemic. Priests have hacked make-shift live feeds with the phones they carry in their pockets. Educators modified lesson plans and teaching styles to accommodate distant learning on platforms that worked, well, usually. Families changed daily routines to balance remote work with education, then found new ways to play and vacation while our go-to venues are closed or have reduced hours.

And there are the face coverings. We may not like them, but they are required in many places, so creative people stitched up some cool designs. There are colorful masks, masks with images or words to make a personal statement. There are fancy balaclavas and masks of fine cloth. Fine clothiers like Brooks Brothers, J. Crew and Talbots make masks to coordinate with the day’s outfit. Why not? One can be stylish and safe.

I’m more of a plain-mask guy, perhaps because my creativity flows elsewhere — or maybe I’m just kinda plain.

As Archbishop Robert J. Carlson explains in his column, we can be creative and faithful in how we observe our faith. That’s part of the greatness of a universal Church. We have room for creativity in how we arrive at the Eucharist and how we present the Gospel to the world. Evangelization isn’t a one-way-accommodates-all activity. We get to use our unique gifts — our creativity — to be examples of His Word. How awesome is that?

The challenges of the pandemic have been significant, and we may need to adapt our lifestyles for a long time. But rather than lament changes or restrictions, we should see this as an opportunity to use the creativity God gave us — whether it for making facial wear to slow the spread of a virus, or devising new ways to help spread the Gospel.