Too Soon?

You've heard that question before, right? It is almost inevitable. Something bad will happen and eventually we'll turn it into a joke. It's a coping mechanism. But, of course, there is an appropriate time first. You don't want to turn pain into a laughing matter. Wait until it heals a bit. Then you can use laughter as a medicine.

On Saturdays I write a weekly news entry. I point out stuff in the news that I consider worth commenting on. Because it is weekly it is fairly fresh. And because most of my comments carry a bit of irony or satire or humor in them, I run the risk of "Too soon?"

There is one news item out there that is unavoidable -- this Wuhan Virus issue. There are times it feels like there is no other news. And sometimes I might appear as flippant on the subject. (Flippant: not showing the proper serious or respectful attitude.) I'm not. I'll tell you where I do fail to show a serious or respectful attitude on. The fear.

I get it. People are afraid. And, seriously, I get it why "the many" would be afraid. Death is terrifying. But not to "the few." To those who are in Christ, Death has lost its sting. So when I see believers terrified of something like this, I wonder. Is being with Christ not gain? Does God not work all things together for good to those who love Him? Is He not in charge, not the one who makes light and makes calamity? Did something change?

So I play with it. I point out that God has actually decreased the pollution in this world with this killer virus. Because God works all things together for good. I point out that the idea of cutting out exercise in order to be more healthy is foolish. I point out that our lousy values (like See's Candy or getting waffles at Waffle House) might need some realignment. For instance.

This is a serious time and we need serious prayer and serious action. That's true. So I am trying to keep others safe by avoiding getting sick and giving it to them. But that's not terror and this isn't the end of the world. We need to be renewed in our minds -- we who know Jesus. If I can nudge you in that direction and I can do it with a bit of humor, I think that's a helpful thing to do. Because it's never too soon to act more like a believer.