Jim Denison is the founder and CVO of the Denison Forum, a nonprofit Christian media organization that comments on current issues through a biblical lens. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.
The first coronavirus death in the US occurred on Saturday, the second last night. Both patients were in Washington state and had underlying health conditions.
Two dozen new cases of the virus were reported over the weekend, bringing the total in the US to eighty-nine, up from sixty-five on Friday night.
As I will explain today, this is an unprecedented challenge to our nation and world. And it is therefore an unprecedented opportunity for the gospel.
This virus presents a global challenge unprecedented in my lifetime, because it shows the following three facts to be true.
One: Wealth cannot protect us.
The stock market just finished its worst week since the Great Recession of 2008, losing $3.6 trillion in value. According to one analyst, this crash “may have created a once in a lifetime buying opportunity.” By contrast, a CDC official warned that “disruption to everyday life may be severe” as the virus spreads in the US. If people are afraid to see other people, imagine the impact on churches, schools, offices, manufacturing, and retail.
Two: Medical science cannot stop the virus (so far).
A Harvard professor warns that “if a pandemic happens, 40 to 70 percent of people worldwide are likely to be infected in the coming year.” On the other hand, some think the virus will burn itself out in the summer heat. A middle position is that it becomes like the seasonal flu, only with a higher mortality rate.
Three: The epidemic knows no borders.
The World Health Organization warns that the virus could soon reach every nation in the world. Countries with communist governments, Muslim leaders, and democratic republics alike are susceptible.
Not in my lifetime have we seen such a holistic threat.
Hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes affect specific cities and regions. Ebola was localized as well. The Great Recession affected different countries in different ways and was not a medical emergency.
So far as we know at present, this is a disease anyone can get. And it is therefore a disease everyone can get. We cannot depend on our wealth, current medical knowledge, or political structures to protect us.
As a result, the coronavirus is showing us what we should have known all along: we are mortals in desperate need of God. The virus is not changing the mortality rate—it is making it more real. We need God’s protection in the present and his saving grace for eternity.
One way God wants to redeem this pandemic is by using it to turn us to himself.
Source: Christian Headlines
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