WERE DISEASES on the earth before man was created or settled on it or vice versa? In other words, are diseases natural problems or man-made problems? Are all diseases caused by pathogens – micro-organisms including bacteria, fungi, virus, protists, prions and viroids? What are the origins of pathogens?
Whether we have accurate or inaccurate answers to these questions or not, the fact remains that human lives are threatened daily with diseases some of which have proven to be medically incurable over the years. Examples of world’s incurable diseases are Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease and Asthma.
The most recent life-threatening disease to attack humans is Covid-19, which has been ravaging so-called developed and developing nations of the world, making governments helpless, miserable and powerless. Since December, 2019, when the disease caused by the coronavirus first struck the people of Chinese city of Wuhan, over 150 other nations have been infected.
More than 209,333 infections have been recorded with at least 8,778 deaths in 10 most affected nations – China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, South Korea, France, USA, Switzerland and United Kingdom. All these nations except Iran are developed nations which boast of being powerful with robust economies, security, medical care, infrastructure and educational systems.
But today, coronavirus, a tiny organism, which cannot be seen with the human eye except under an optical instrument like a microscope has flexed its muscle, silently terrorizing and killing thousands of people, immobilizing thousands, destroying businesses, inhibiting foreign travels, creating insecurity and rendering many poor.
All these things are happening in the 21st Century world, where best trained military, police and security officers including snipers who are armed with very sophisticated and advanced technological weapons look on helplessly with no ability to kill or arrest the lone attacker. What an elusive and deadly virus!
Besides, medical officers and other health professionals have been doing their best to contain its spread, but the virus has often been overwhelming, infecting and killing some of them in the process. This tells us how powerful and life-threatening a tiny virus can be to human existence. It tells us that we are but powerless. It tells us that our boastings are pointless, needless and meaningless; in fact, it tells us that we are vulnerable and that no man is really powerful.
This is why President Akufo Addo’s directive to churches to suspend their services for a month is appropriate. It is an act of salvation and wisdom. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not make believers senseless and irrational; faith in God does not impair reasoning and make adherents foolish. The Bible teaches Christians to flee from deadly environments to safe areas (Matthew 10: 23).
In fact, there were instances, Jesus Christ, Paul and other ministers had to hide themselves when they sensed or were told about imminent dangers. That did not mean they lacked faith; they were actually men of wisdom and acted wisely and reasonably. Covid-19 is not just an enemy but a deadly one; we must learn from Jesus Christ, the apostles and temporarily flee its infections and pray in our closets for God’s deliverance and healing.
Moreover, the attack of the coronavirus warns us that it may not take anything big to destroy the world, but something very small. The virus attacked the world suddenly without any government and individual preparing for it; it took the world by a surprise. This should serve as a reminder of how Christ Jesus shall suddenly appear the second time to judge the world.
We must repent of our blasphemies against God, rejecting Jesus Christ and persecuting Christians. It is time we stopped being proud, boastful and haughty, bragging about education and knowledge. In fact, proper and unbiased education should humble us and make us realize our helplessness and insufficiency.
A properly balanced education should lead us to the knowledge of the existence of God, who controls the world. God is not unaware of the Covid-19 pandemic; He might allow it to humble us. It is understandable to insist that a well-educated person is the one who knows about his body and spirit natures. When we have knowledge and understanding about our spirit man, we will most likely appreciate the existence of God.
An educated person’s hatred, mockery and criticisms against Jesus Christ in this age of abundant knowledge are pure acts of ignorance. A person who speaks and writes to incite people to hate and reject Jesus Christ lacks sense. And a person who works to make Christ Jesus unpopular fights a useless battle.
An attack on Jesus Christ is a futile kick on the goad. Man’s hateful campaign against Jesus Christ is like sand’s campaign against water. Obviously, the sand will always lose. Christ Jesus knows no failure. He never loses a battle. Christ’s attackers ought to know that Jesus is indestructible! But how can they know since their minds are darkened. So, now, if anyone is powerful enough to fight, let him or her rather fight coronavirus face-to-face.
jamesquansah@yahoo.com
By James Quansah