Bitter darkness or joyful light?

April 15, 2020

At this point in the trajectory of the pandemic, there have been a little over 2 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. Over 130,000 have died. A little over half a million have recovered. What looks like good news is the number of new case, worldwide, has fallen over the past four days. In the USA, over 3 million have been tested, 100,000 plus have been hospitalized. (Stats from JHU) Over 27,000 Americans have died, to date. (source: worldometers)

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. I hear the senseless bickering of politicians who would rather rule a corpse than save a life. I see politicians leverage the situation for non-sequitur stuff rather than save a life. I feel for the families that have lost loved ones while politicians and media blindly blast blame, instead of put effort toward saving a life. 

I want it to be over. The reality is there is only one way for this to end. We may find a solution to this virus; but that ends only prolongs the agony, muddies the water, and boost the poison of our politics. There is only one solution to what this world desperately needs: Jesus, who is King of kings... period.

Paul urged us to love others, to “do no harm.” (see Romans 13:10) With this advice in mind, he continued, “As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith.” [Romans 13:11 CEB] There is an echo from the Old Testament in this verse.

After David united all the tribes of Israel, they congregated for a large celebration. All the tribes, except one, sent large numbers of representatives (armies). The exception, “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.” [1 Chronicles 12:32 CEB] Others had gathered for war, Issachar gathered for peace. Others were prepared to fight each other, Issachar did not abandon the homeland to the Philistines. Others felt the need to protect themselves, Issachar felt the need to take the lead.

Paul urged the Romans to “wake up from your sleep.” In Mark 13, talking about the end times, Jesus says “Stay alert!” not once, not twice, not three times, but four times. Think Jesus is making a point? Advising the servants concerning the return of their master, Jesus states, “Don’t let him show up when you weren’t expecting and find you sleeping.” [Mark 13:36 CEB] Nobody can say when the day or hour will be… but it might be possible to know the season (Matthew 16:3). The season is right. Then again it has always been right for Jesus' return. 

“Everything that is revealed by the light is light. Therefore, it says, Wake up, sleeper! Get up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” [Ephesians 5:14 CEB] This is not the time to abandon our world to the darkness. Just like the heroic actions of the medical world to save lives, we must do our part in this pandemic of sin.

Time to light up this world with the truth of Jesus.