We
are drowning in bad news. The coronavirus,
COVID-19, continues to spread. Many corporations are instructing employees to
work remotely from home. Colleges are
shifting to online classes. The The NBA has suspended its season. March Madness will be played without fans in the seats. From one case
in Wuhan, China, in less than three months, it has spread throughout the
globe. All of Italy has been placed under
a lock down that closes all schools and prohibits all public gatherings and
suspension of religious gatherings including weddings and funerals. Israel has imposed a 14 day quarantine on
anyone entering the country. The list is
long and growing.
The
Stock Market hit the skids on Monday, March 9 with a drop of more than 2,000
points. Retirement accounts that include
stock portfolios were hard hit. People
are worried. It seems like a perfect storm.
Suicides
are up. The South Bend Tribune ran an article last week about the alarming rise
of suicides among Midwest farmers. More
than 450 Midwestern farmers took their own lives between 2014 and 2018. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has reported that farming is the most vulnerable occupation to
suicide in the nation. At the same time,
suicide among the young has escalated. The National Center for Health
Statistics reported that suicide was the second leading cause of death among
young Americans age 15-24. The suicide
rate for those age 10-24 rose 56% from 2010 to 2017. In 2018 the U.S. recorded 1,400,000 suicide
attempts.
Clearly
something is wrong. Many are being overwhelmed by fear. While we must use caution and avoid unnecessary risk, we must not become paralyzed by fear.
Our
forefathers have something to teach us here.
Previous generations have survived plagues, economic crises, wars and
persecution by putting their faith in God.
God alone can sustain us in the most difficult times.
The
Bible is rich in reassurance regarding the ultimate source of
life and hope. “I will lift up my eyes
to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven
and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not
slumber. … The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He
will keep your soul” (Psalm 121:1-7).
“But we have this treasure
in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power
will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but
not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).
“Who
will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … But in all these
things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, not depth, nor any other
thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-38).
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