Prudence, Panic, and Pandemics

Prudence is not the same thing as panic. We are not dealing with an unprecedented disease, though we may be dealing with unprecedented fearfulness.  You need to act with wisdom, take precautions, and not tempt God. Being cautious, careful, and prudent is not the same thing as panic. I am thankful to God this is not as bad as it could be. It’s not even close to being as bad as things were a little over a century ago.  In her book Flu, Gina Kolotal tells the story of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic where 25% of Americans contracted the virus and somewhere between 20-100 million people died world-wide. At Fort Devens, an Army base in Massachusetts, 129 soldiers died in 48 hours. Of the 45,000 men stationed at the base, 8,000 were hospitalized. A few days later, the flu spread outside the camp, and on  “September 26, 1918, 123 Bostonians died of the flu and 33 succumbed to pneumonia.” A month later, in Philadelphia, close to 11,000 died from the flu. In one day, 759 Philadelphia residents past away — just to put this current virus in perspective.

Christian, please don’t panic. Psalm 91:9-11, “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Remember, God is Sovereign. God was not taken by surprise by this virus. The Lord Jehovah is not merely in control when things go the way we want them to. Nothing is outside of his dominion. No event happens outside of his will. Also understand, that no amount of “social-distancing” will give you eternal life. Job 14:5, “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.” God is even sovereign over the day of your death. But after we have done all we can, we must trust in the Lord and rest in his sovereignty. What happens if it gets worse? Trust in the Lord. Our God hears His people in distress (Psalm 107:16-21) so go to the Lord in prayer. Psalms 41:3 tells us, “The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.”

You can also love your neighbor during this time, and for that matter, anytime. You are commanded by your Lord to be “courteous” (1 Peter 3:8). Cover your mouth when you cough. There really is no excuse for any adult to be coughing and hacking in public without covering their mouth. It’s selfish. Yes, it may be a great burden to bend your elbow all the way to your mouth (Proverbs 26:15) but that should be a sacrifice you are willing to make for the sake of the people around you. Another way to love your neighbor is to stay home if you are sick. The graveyard is full of indispensable men. Don’t think so highly of yourself to believe that the world can’t go on without you for a few days. You need to check your heart and your priorities if that’s the case.

This virus has been revealing. It’s showed how quickly things can go south. It’s showed us that people are irrational in a panic. What are the symptoms of the coronavirus? Fever and cough. What are the stores sold out of? Toilet paper. I can’t imagine what would happen in a real crisis situation. This was a good test run to show us the world is ripe for the picking for a Strongman to come along and take control. People will gladly give up their freedoms for an exchange of relative safety. I hope it’s shown some Christians their need to be members of a church. James tells the sick to call for the elders — but if you are not a member of a church, you are missing out on a great benefit of the Christian life, to have members of the church care for your soul. I also hope it’s shown some Christians that life is short, and that you need to wake up out of your sleep, get your mind out of the vanity fair of this world, and be vigilant and on guard. You don't’ know when the Master will return. You don’t know when you’ll be summoned to meet Him.

This virus revealed to a great number of people that life is frail. The world can change overnight. The things you thought were sure aren’t as strong as you imagined. I pray that this virus has opened your eyes to eternity. No one has the promise of tomorrow. It’s an illusion to believe things will go on like they always have forever. Eternity is just a heartbeat away. The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death. And those who die in their sin face the wrath of a holy God. The only hope man has is Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners.