The World Health Organization just (2020) declared the Chinese corona virus outbreak a global public health emergency. With hundreds of deaths, and thousands of infections so far, these numbers are increasing at an incredible rate. China, which was slow to react, took drastic steps to try and contain the deadly virus. They quarantined 50+ million people in the epicenter and cancelled Chinese New Year celebrations in a vain attempt to stop the spread of the disease. Their blunders are killing people.
Unfortunately more than 5 million people left the quarantine area before it was locked down. Wealthy Chinese travel extensively to spend their money and to make more. Unaware of the danger, carriers spread the highly contagious disease across China and around the world. That will have ravage densely populated cities and in large households.
The health effects of the virus are not the only problem. A huge portion of the Chinese economy has come to a halt, at a time when virus related expenses have skyrocketed. Tourists and businessmen are afraid to travel to China and other countries are increasingly reluctant to accept the Chinese. Many airlines have halted flights to China. These problems will only increase, along with infections and deaths and as desperation grows. The Chinese government is known for its brutality and they will become even more so in trying to fix the problem. They don’t care about the people and that can have deadly consequences. Their leaders are rich and powerful and want to get back to increasing that wealth and power.
Sadly, the corona virus is not even close to the most deadly problem facing the world. Another plague has more deadly consequences and affects over 150,000 casualties a day, most of which are fatal. The victims endure unimaginable pain and suffering long before they die and it is so contagious it often spreads to everyone around them. It is even passed from one generation to another. No, the problem hasn’t been contained and it is growing with each passing day. Our world leaders not only haven’t slowed the spread of this highly contagious menace, most won’t acknowledge the problem exists.
If this problem is so devastating, why haven’t we found the problem and the cure? Incredibly we have known the problem for a long time and the cure was made possible through a great sacrifice. So, the issue must be the high cost? No, the price was paid in full and it’s available to us as a free gift. You see, the problem is sin and its devastating effect on our life. If we die in our sin, the consequences are worse than we can imagine and will never end.
So what is this cure, we so desperately need? “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV) and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8 KJV). When we accept JESUS as our Savior, the deadly consequences of sin are washed away by the precious blood of the LAMB. That is when it becomes our turn to share the Good News of GOD’s love with a lost and dying world.
Wayne Lance (2020)