A Virus With A Remedy
We live in a ‘new normal.’ Compared to one month ago, we live in a very different world; a world of social distancing. A month ago, we probably wouldn’t have known what ‘social distancing’ meant. But now ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ are words in our everyday vocabulary.
The COVID-19 virus has changed the way we live and interact with one another: no chatting with friends over coffee at Tim Horton’s, no night out at the sky-dome, no playing in the parks, loss of jobs, school-at-home for children and businesses temporally shut down. The streets are eerily quiet, and so are the skies. On sidewalks, people wear face masks carrying full bags of groceries. There is a heightened sense of fear, even panic.
Attention has now turned to the need for manufacturing protective medical gear for our health professionals. The rates of of COVID-19 patients in self-isolation continue to spike.
These are new realities -- at least for the time being.
Up till now there has been no vaccination nor known cure for this virus. Frantic work is being carried out to develop one.
This leads me to reflect on a far greater, more serious reality. There is a far more deadly virus than COVID-19, and that is the sin-virus. All human beings are infected with it. We are born with it. Apart from a treatment, we have no life with God. We will only die forever.
Is there a sure remedy for this deadly sin-virus? Yes.
This is why Jesus, the eternal Son of God, came from heaven and became man. He took upon Himself our human flesh, became man like us, except He was without sin. He provided the remedy by taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve for our sin.
He went into self-isolation on the cross. On the cross, He was totally isolated, dis-fellowshipped from God and from man. On the cross, He took the death sentence for all who trust in Him. This is what Good Friday is about. In Him we find forgiveness, healing, restoration and the promise of life forever.
How do we know? Jesus arose from the dead on the third day, conquering the sin-virus. Death no longer has the last word. The grave no longer has the last word. In Christ, we are cleansed and live forever. All who trust on Him alone for their salvation, He will raise their bodies up to life from the grave! This is what Easter is all about!
What a comforting truth in a time of pestilence!
