Prayerful peace versus pandemic panic
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Never, in my lifetime, have I witnessed such global panic as is evidenced in the world right now.
With the emergence of the coronavirus over the past few months, we’ve seen travel bans, school shutdowns, postponements of sporting and public events, theater closings, and – gasp – even a seventeen-plus day shutdown of Disney World, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. I agree with the Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote that such an occurrence is indeed a “blow to American optimism.” (1)
A few weeks ago, a co-worker encouraged me to begin my “pandemic shopping,” and I scoffed at the suggestion. “This is not a pandemic,” I insisted, “And I, for one, refuse to succumb to fear.”
Since then, the World Health Organization (WHO) has, in fact, declared the coronavirus – also known as COVID-19 – a pandemic (3). What began as a few dozen cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has now affected 169,000 individuals, causing 6,492 deaths, worldwide. (2)
The WHO didn’t make this proclamation lightly. According to their organization, a pandemic is declared “when a new disease for which people do not have immunity spreads around the world beyond expectations.” (4) Such an outbreak has only been defined as such a few times in history – including the 1918 flu, 2009’s H1N1 virus, and the discovery of HIV/AIDS in 2006. (5)
This week, I experienced the recent phenomenon known as panic shopping – the hysterical hoarding of rice, cleaning products, and yes, toilet paper. Mind you, there is absolutely no reason for toilet paper shortages to occur in the world – other than those created by fear-driven shopping frenzies.
While making my grocery purchases, I witnessed, first-hand, entire meat freezers emptied of meat, and dry goods’ shelves devoid of rice, soups, and pasta. Posted signs reminded customers to limit their purchases of paper products – including the aforementioned toilet paper packages – to two per household/per day. Such things would be comical were they not so indicative of the fearful mindset that’s become our new norm.
Yet, amid all this chaos, we must never doubt that God is in control. While many in the world may proceed with a perception of panic, my reality is the total opposite. I feel nothing but peace. Despite the daily deluge of fear-laced COVID-19 coverage, I choose to rest wholly in the promises of God to take care of me and my loved ones.
This morning, for example, my brother was faced with a decision regarding the well-being of our mother. His son’s thirteenth birthday party was scheduled to be held at a Colorado bowling alley, in the afternoon. With all of the coronavirus concerns, our mother’s participation in the event was never a sure thing. After all, according to the media, we should all stay home, practice our “social distancing” skills, and avoid any type of small gatherings.
I texted my brother that I understood his concerns – even offering a suggestion that they only plan to stay for a little while. Perhaps Mom could wear plastic gloves, eat first, and keep her drink with her at all times. Common sense suggestions, I thought – knowing that neither one of them wanted to miss the big occasion.
Through it all, however, I knew that President Trump had proclaimed March 15th as a National Day of Prayer for our nation, our leaders, and all those affected by the virus. What better day to get together than one in which the whole country was praying over our protection.
In my reassurance to my brother, I cited the following:
- Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3)
And so my brother and mother joined the birthday celebration. I can’t tell you how my heart soared when I learned that the bowling alley was empty of all but the party participants – effectively eliminating our communal health concerns and providing memories my nephew will always remember. Talk about an immediate answer to prayer!
What started as a day of worry became a worry-free event as we surrendered our concerns to God on the National Day of Prayer. My nephew’s sparkler-topped pizza seemed the perfect embodiment of our triumph over anxiety – serving as the proverbial icing on the cake of a tremendously blessed day. Only God could turn such trepidation into triumph.
As for me, across the miles, the photos I received of my smiling loved ones, facing down their fears in prayerful peace instead of pandemic panic, made my heart soar. God is merciful, and He hears our prayers – for our nation, our world leaders, and for our loved ones. Whether we’re praying for protection over a simple birthday party or our entire nation – God will take care of us all.
When faced with future frightening situations, I pray we will always remember to turn our eyes away from the headlines and rest them upon Jesus, instead.
References:
- Martens. T. (2020, March 14). Coronavirus fallout: Why closing Disneyland is such a blow to American optimism. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-03-14/disneyland-coronavirus-closure-reflects-america-mood.
- Worldometer. (2020, March 15). Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
- World Health Organization. (2020, March 11). WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19—11-march-2020
- Davey, M. (2020, March 14). What is a pandemic and does it change the approach to coronavirus?. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/what-is-a-pandemic-coronavirus-covid-19
- McKay, B. Calfas, Jr. & Ansari, T. (2020, March 11). Coronavirus Declared Pandemic by World Health Organization. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-coronavirus-cases-top-1-000-11583917794
- Boyer, D. (2020, March 15). Trump proclaims national day of prayer for Americans affected by coronavirus. Washington Times. Retrieved from https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/15/donald-trump-proclaims-national-day-prayer-america/