The grave uncertainty created by the Chinese corona virus pandemic can be very stressful. Worrying about you, your family, or vulnerable loved ones contracting this highly dangerous contagion can be daunting; and then there are the very valid concerns about the economic damage from the government forced shut down. All these thus far unknown variables threatening Americans, their families, and their livelihoods can wreak havoc on individual mental wellbeing, public morale, or simply society in general if you have no other certainty in life to cling to. Fortunately, the majority of Americans are God fearing people who resolutely face every challenge with the steadfast conviction God is in control.
While most Americans accept the sovereign supremacy of our Savior as obviously axiomatic, the unbelievers among us mostly concentrated on the east and left coasts howl with not just disagreement, but also disgusted disapproval and even categorical condemnation whenever faith in God is mentioned. Whether climate change, fossil fuels, or now the corona virus, you have been hearing a tedious chorus by the media and elite leftists snidely sniping that President Trump just doesn’t believe in science. They don’t really think he is dumb; they are attacking his faith – they are attacking your faith!
Leftists are sure anyone who believes in God is ignorant or stupid; they think Christians can’t handle reality, so we use Christ as a crutch. In a 29 March New York Times OPED, Katherine Stewart blames evangelicals for the severity of the corona virus because she says Trump’s response to the pandemic is hampered because he is beholden to evangelicals who reject science. While this assertion is utterly ridiculous because God and true science are in sync, the real shame is these lost leftist souls reject the sovereignty of our Creator.
In one of President Trump’s daily briefings, he invited Mile Lindell, “Mr. My Pillow,” to explain how his company had shifted 75% of its manufacturing to producing 50,000 face masks per day. What a wonderful example of American enterprise and the American spirit, but he also implored Americans to take this time to reconnect with their families and read their Bibles. Social media went berserk. First, they missed the part about masks and thought it was just a “My Pillow” advertisement, but for leftists telling people to turn to the Word of God when they really need science and social distancing is irresponsible. The online invective heaped on this great American Patriot just because he is a Christian was infuriating.
Franklin Graham’s Christian ministry, Samaritan’s Purse, brings portable hospitals to provide healthcare to disaster areas around the world. They have set up a portable hospital in Central Park, but instead of gratitude and welcome, beleaguered New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio greeted them with suspicion. He called them intensely anti-LGBTQ and said he would be watching them closely because he was concerned they would discriminate against the LGBTQ community by turning them away or offering only substandard care. Aside from De Blasio’s idiocy, that absurd notion is so preposterous you just want to walk away.
While all this maligning and mistrust of Christians is acutely aggravating, there is a greater tragedy. The leftists in media, politics, and highly secular areas do not just not know Jesus; they utterly do not understand Him nor Christianity. It’s pitiful that they can’t see the Creator’s hand in everything we know. It’s pathetic that they attack good people trying to help simply because those folks give the glory to God. And it’s incredibly sad that they do not know Christ’s infinite compassion for all; that they think God would turn away sinners. If He did, he would turn everyone away because we are all sinners. Jesus ministered to all who were hurting regardless of sin because all have sinned.
During this national crisis Americans are coming together to help one another and defeat this pandemic by the strength of their faith. They are fervently praying and firmly know that God will deliver us. The faithless are lashing out and mocking Christians because they are frightened. Deep down they are envious of Christians’ hope and strength. Instead of being annoyed or resentful of the vicious leftists, let them see Christ’s light in how we cheerfully help all the hurting regardless of beliefs. Maybe just maybe some of them will see they need God too and He is waiting with open arms.
“As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3
