This morning, our message from church was based on Psalm 125, which begins, ” Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” The pastor, after reading the Psalm, went on to talk about the last seven months for the people of our church. He said that he had noticed two ends of the spectrum, those who were despondent and those who, to him, appeared overconfident. He said he would like to sit with each side to ask why they felt that way during this time of Covid-19.
Those who feel despondent, in my opinion, feel that way because the mainstream media tells them to. For much of the population, the media is their only contact with the outside world. In my state of North Carolina, our Governor has locked people away and shuttered businesses and entertainment venues. Early in the life of this virus, he even closed parks and boat ramps in an effort to make people stay home. All too slowly, he has begun to relax restrictions (we are in phase 3 currently). Every evening, at the beginning of the newscast, they are assaulted by the newest numbers of infected (including those with false positives, or merely suspected of having the virus), and deaths ( whether the people died of Covid or merely with Covid). Rarely, until very recently, did the media mention those who had recovered, which the vast majority did. With all of this, who could wonder why the despondency!
Now, as for those who are overconfident, I’d have to say that’s not me. However, I suspect our pastor would include me in the group. You know how it is when you think the church leader is talking about you! I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn a mask, mostly when working our local food pantry, where it is mandatory. I know the mask isn’t going to keep the virus out, given the size of the virus and how porous the mask is. I wore gloves the first week or two, then relied on alcohol swabs for a while after touching things. I do find myself washing my hands a bit more, but not that much more. I’ve researched the virus, whether you call it Covid-19, Coronavirus or China virus, to know it’s highly survivable, even at the eldest group. There have been several who recovered who were past 100 years of age.
I don’t normally watch mainstream media, except 30 minutes at 5PM for local news. Hey, let’s face it; they have an extreme liberal slant here on the coast. My next birthday, I’ll be 70 years old. I am a US Marine veteran who fought in Vietnam, Beirut, and Desert Storm. Do I believe I’m invincible? No! Do I think Covid is real? Yes, but highly exaggerated by media for political gain! Where do I get my confidence in this time of “pandemic”? The Lord! The pastor took another 30 minutes in his sermon to reach the same conclusion!
marjarhead1 