The “Sky is Falling” COVID 19

COVID 19 is a watershed moment in history. Like 9/11 when the Twin Towers plummeted to the streets, and the world watched with shock, horror a bated breath—our world is again, forever changed. COVID 19 is sweeping across our world and none of us feel ready. Supply chains become stressed and need reworked. Local and international travel becomes scrutinized and abandoned. Pubic gatherings and school classes are canceled or shut down. 

The reality is terrible things happen in our world every day. To scratch the surface of this, in 2018, 10,000,000 people contracted tuberculosis and 1,500,000 died. 600,000 citizens of the US were expected to die of cancer in 2019. Just like we have accepted fighting these evils with prayer, education, medical science and more, COVID 19 is our new reality. Our new fight.

Our biggest enemy is not COVID 19—it is fear. We fear what we don’t understand. There is a lot we don’t understand about cancer, but it has become part of our culture’s reality. We all know people who have had cancer. Most of us don’t know anyone with COVID 19 … yet (as of this publication).

Fear also impacts economies. In my observation, greed is usually at the root of economic crises. I understand there are larger dynamics—government policies, supply and demand—but when our picture of the world changes, when everything we think we know and trust gets rearranged, fear sets in. 

Key question: how do we deal with our fear of the unknown? Sometimes a good way to frame what is important in life is to think about death. What would you do if you only had 6 more months to live? 

• Do you have any close friends or family that need to know you deeply love them? How can you express this to them? Make a game plan. 

• Do you know anyone you need to forgive? Don’t let bitterness and resentment live through you … because they always gain control. 

• Do you have peace in your heart about death? Can you face some of your fears about death? Death is a great unknown for many of us. Many faiths believe in an afterlife. Even atheists tend to pray on their deathbeds. 

For myself, I believe in the simple story of Jesus coming as a God and a man to die for us, share forgiveness with us and reconcile us to his Father, the Creator of our universe. I still have to face my fears when traveling into a conflict zone or watching a T3 tornado like the one that just tore through Nashville. 

I’m not immune to fear of the unknown. But taking time to be in God’s love, training our hearts to be at peace with our neighbor and our enemy, and showing love to those we truly care about—these are all things that are more important than our stuff and our money. Though we should all value life and health, love in our hearts is more valuable than healthy bodies. Let’s keep our priorities clear as we navigate this pivotal season of history. 

#COVID19, #coronavirus