The first thing that came to my mind when I heard about Covid-19 is, Judgement. I imagined the virus as an invisible force that will eventually wipe out all mankind like the destroyer plague in the biblical book of Genesis. I began to think about the world as is and if there was justification for the world ending.
I’ve just finished re-reading some of the Old Testament books, the books of the prophets, the gloomiest books in the bible. Before the pandemic, every morning as I made my way from one book to another, I questioned why I was reading them. What joy is there to be had from reading about the punishment God had in store for Jerusalem and Judah day after day? I had to keep reminding myself of the message in the books, if we turn back on evil and turn to God, he will forgive us. But, not without consequences. I wonder if the innocent died with the guilty.
There have been various prophesies about the end of the world. All of which I don’t pay attention to. However, I did wonder, for a few seconds, if this virus is going to wipe out all of the human race. I remembered Noah. Many mornings I reminded God of his promise to Noah, “Lord, you said you would never again wipe out all life after the flood”. The other day, I re-read that verse;
Genesis 9:11
I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. ”
Genesis 9:15
I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
Ha! God does not say he won’t wipe out all life again. What he said is, never again will all life be wiped out by water.
Oops! I guess I can’t keep on reminding him of that promise.
The Lord Jesus Christ bore all our sins and iniquities, saved us from ourselves and as a result, took away the case for wiping away all mankind. God is a merciful God and in these trying times, we must all remember his love for us.
What causes pandemics?
I did a little research and read about the various pandemics that have occurred over the centuries. Pandemics like Covid-19 have wiped 100’s of millions of human life from the face of the earth. History, from 430 BC in Athens to present day, records many infectious disease outbreaks. Almost 100 outbreaks is said to have occurred in different parts of the world since the first known outbreak in 430 BC.
I’m guessing we all get to an age where we start to ponder about the earth as a plant. I’m certainly at that age. I also watch a lot of documentaries about earth like, The Planet Earth, Our Planet, Blue Planet, Blue Planet, Frozen Planet. Nothing like good ole visuals to make us more conscious of how modern civilisation is destroying the planet earth. Check them all out on Netflix, they are quite fascinating.
Here’s what is known about this outbreak,
“In summary, there are some recognisable factors responsible for precipitating or enabling emergence, such as ecological factors or globalised travel and trade. “
“The basic point is that there are a number of ecological changes, many of them anthropogenic, which provide new opportunities for pathogens to emerge and gain access to human populations. Think of these as a sort of microbial explorers, discovering new niches—us—and exploring new territory.”
“The most commonly cited drivers fall within the following IOM categories: economic development and land use; human demographics and behaviour; international travel and commerce; changing ecosystems; human susceptibility; and hospitals.”
All from a 2009 United States National Library of Medicine article titled “ Infectious Disease Emergence: Past, Present, and Future”.
Simply put, what we do know for sure is that pandemics are caused by us humans and spread by travel. What we also know is, as long as we continue to do what we are currently doing, (economic development and travel) pandemics are inevitable. It seems that outbreaks like Covid-19 are almost a certainty. Read the full article here.
What would be life be like after Covid-19?
I don’t know what life would be like after Covid-19. What I do hope is, we all don’t go back to the way we were as if nothing happened. I hope that this pandemic has given us all cause to reflect positively. Too many people have lost their lives. It would be a tragedy if we forget quickly and carry on as if nothing happened. I pray that the pandemic is contained and I hope afterwards,
- Our healthcare system is revamped. The number of healthcare workers who have lost their lives because they were in the front line is heart breaking. People who died doing their jobs. They deserved to be better protected and better paid.
- People will become more hygienic. I have seen some women in my gym come out of the toilet cubicle and straight out of the door. Yuck! The amount of people who cough without covering their mouths, sneeze without using tissue and don’t wash their hands in public is alarming. My goodness! No wonder cold viruses are common.
- We start thinking more about our air travel. How much of our gallivanting is absolutely necessary? What is excessive? There is a lot of conflict for me here but, it’s something I am thinking about.
- Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” I don’t think much will change here. At the moment, so much of what we do seems trivial, self serving and meaningless. We seem to have become lovers of self. I’m thinking about all my sports bra and leggings selfies on social media, “who the heck are they serving?”. All the narcissistic pictures we post (rolling my eyes), what for? So the world can know that we look good? Sadly, I can’t even say for sure that I’m going to stop it. Actually, I’m sure I won’t.
- I hope that we all remember that besides God and Godly love, nothing else really matters. I hope that more people will come to know God as a result of this Covid-19 pandemic.
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