The Great Pandemic of 2020
A Pandemic. Yes, it has hit our earth quicker than I ever imagined when I penned my last post. COVID-19 was in its infancy as 2019 came to a close. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the pneumonia-like illness, with zoonotic origins, a global threat to humanity. Shortly thereafter, schools suspended face-to-face instruction, non-essential businesses closed their doors and the aviation industry dramatically slowed down. Fourteen day quarantines were ordered for international travelers and anyone with flu-like symptoms (especially a dry cough, fever or difficulty breathing) were asked to isolate. Fast forward to now where all mainstream media feeds are saturated with updates on number of cases, number of recoveries and number of deaths. Some countries such as Italy, Spain and U.S.A. have been hit hard. Other countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore have escaped with low fatality rates. It is an uncertain time to be alive.
Today is Good Friday, a day where Christians mark the death of Jesus Christ. Typically, churches would be partaking in the two sacred emblems of bread and wine to commemorate the body that was broken and the blood that was shed for the sins of humanity. During our current social distancing orders, such services are virtual where people tune in through their technological devices. We had our own family service with a hymn, scripture reading and prayer. However, I missed the corporate gathering where I join with other believers to solemnly remember the crux of the Bible.
We live in a time of fear, where we vigorously wash our hands to remove an invisible enemy. We live in a time of scarcity, where things that were readily available are missing. We live in a time of simplicity, where our day-to-day existence has been whittled down to the bare essentials: personal faith, family, food and work responsibilities that can be completed from home. Our economy has slide into a recession with the doom of depression around the corner. Our society's insatiable appetite to consume has been curbed with painfully slow supply chains. We have been persuaded to stay home, stay put and stay alive.
Death is a guaranteed for each human, with or without COVID-19. I remember having this conversation with my students last year. After studying the negative affects of habitat loss and human's potential impact on climate, I ended my depressing lessons with, "The truth is, we are all going to die. It is a matter of when, where and how." Then, I went on to talk about how science doesn't necessarily answer the existential questions of "Why am I here?" or "What is my purpose?" or "Is there a God who controls everything?" That being said, these questions are important and they deserve exploration.
So I sit here thinking about all this and wondering what my purpose is in these times, especially since the Lord granted me another day to live. After all, as King Solomon aptly reminds us in Ecclesiastes 1:9, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Pandemics have come and gone. Life has continued under God's Will. The Good News found in Jesus Christ because of Good Friday and Easter Sunday must still be preached. Why? A pandemic pales in comparison to the darkness of sin in our hearts. Sin separates us from true Love and Justice in the world hereafter. After all, this world is not our final resting place. There is an eternal reality outside this existence. Who do you want to spend it with? Darkness? Or Light?
Right now my role is with my children. I have been gifted with two beautiful souls who need to be reminded about Jesus. My world has slowed down to bring me back to those precious times I wished to escape when I felt I was self-isolating from the professional world to be a stay-at-home mom. Now, my professional world has come down into our basement office where I have become an on-line teacher practically overnight. Yes, things are fearful, scarce and incredibly uncertain right now. But simplicity is not necessary a bad thing. It is one major blessing during the world chaos of a pandemic.
May God grant you peace during this time.
(This post is dedicated to all the healthcare workers who are on the front lines treating patients. May God be a source of peace, strength and wisdom during the days ahead. ❤)
Today is Good Friday, a day where Christians mark the death of Jesus Christ. Typically, churches would be partaking in the two sacred emblems of bread and wine to commemorate the body that was broken and the blood that was shed for the sins of humanity. During our current social distancing orders, such services are virtual where people tune in through their technological devices. We had our own family service with a hymn, scripture reading and prayer. However, I missed the corporate gathering where I join with other believers to solemnly remember the crux of the Bible.
We live in a time of fear, where we vigorously wash our hands to remove an invisible enemy. We live in a time of scarcity, where things that were readily available are missing. We live in a time of simplicity, where our day-to-day existence has been whittled down to the bare essentials: personal faith, family, food and work responsibilities that can be completed from home. Our economy has slide into a recession with the doom of depression around the corner. Our society's insatiable appetite to consume has been curbed with painfully slow supply chains. We have been persuaded to stay home, stay put and stay alive.
Death is a guaranteed for each human, with or without COVID-19. I remember having this conversation with my students last year. After studying the negative affects of habitat loss and human's potential impact on climate, I ended my depressing lessons with, "The truth is, we are all going to die. It is a matter of when, where and how." Then, I went on to talk about how science doesn't necessarily answer the existential questions of "Why am I here?" or "What is my purpose?" or "Is there a God who controls everything?" That being said, these questions are important and they deserve exploration.
So I sit here thinking about all this and wondering what my purpose is in these times, especially since the Lord granted me another day to live. After all, as King Solomon aptly reminds us in Ecclesiastes 1:9, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Pandemics have come and gone. Life has continued under God's Will. The Good News found in Jesus Christ because of Good Friday and Easter Sunday must still be preached. Why? A pandemic pales in comparison to the darkness of sin in our hearts. Sin separates us from true Love and Justice in the world hereafter. After all, this world is not our final resting place. There is an eternal reality outside this existence. Who do you want to spend it with? Darkness? Or Light?
Right now my role is with my children. I have been gifted with two beautiful souls who need to be reminded about Jesus. My world has slowed down to bring me back to those precious times I wished to escape when I felt I was self-isolating from the professional world to be a stay-at-home mom. Now, my professional world has come down into our basement office where I have become an on-line teacher practically overnight. Yes, things are fearful, scarce and incredibly uncertain right now. But simplicity is not necessary a bad thing. It is one major blessing during the world chaos of a pandemic.
May God grant you peace during this time.
(This post is dedicated to all the healthcare workers who are on the front lines treating patients. May God be a source of peace, strength and wisdom during the days ahead. ❤)