The Common Enemy
Nothing unites people faster than having a
common enemy. Today, we have that. It is so small we can’t see it and so
horrible that it kills without remorse.
Mankind has had wars and rumours of wars.
Although one country, established by war, has been at war through most of its existence,
they could find no enemy worse than themselves, and it was the civil war in the
1860’s that caused the most devastation to themselves. But have we learned our
lesson?
Throughout the world, we have seen war and
disaster. Both natural and manmade catastrophes have caused mayhem in various
areas. Yet many of us were comforted by thinking, “It can’t happen here.” Now
there is a virus. It started in a small area but has spread worldwide. It is
happening everywhere, and if there are pockets of people that have not been
affected, they are consumed in the fear of it.
I am not sure what is worse, the virus or the
fear of it. I am more afraid of the fear and what that has done, and may yet do, to people. The fear has led to panic and panic leads to doing unreasonable
things. At this time, it is more important than ever to remain calm, so I am
not going to talk about the evils of this enemy, but I want to concentrate on
how it is bringing us together in a world unity never before seen.
What has kept me calm is the knowledge that
God is in control. Yes, I may catch the virus and I may die, but this life on
earth is for a short time and we have eternity to think about. When God decides that it is time to call me home, I will be thrilled to go.
Yet, such days as these have been prophesied
in the traditions of most religions. It is a sign of God’s displeasure. At a
time when so many have turned their backs on God, when some deny His existence, and others start wars in His name, is it not the time for a wakeup call? He has,
more recently, sent us a message of love and unity. He has told us he doesn’t
want us to fight and that we must learn to get along together. Those of us who
have heard the call have been given the task to spread it to others. Yet denial
and stubbornness have resisted the call, and apathy has caused us to turn elsewhere
for answers.
Have we finally reached the days of Armageddon?
We were expecting a great foe but not one that was so small we couldn’t see it.
We did not know it could hide on friends and relations. Those on the front
lines of the most dangerous war we ever fought must constantly screen themselves
to be assured that the enemy is not taking a ride on their own bodies. Without
training, they are finding themselves thrust to the front line fighting an enemy
that they know little about.
This is an amazing unity that the world
has never seen. All over the world, the scene is being played out. Doctors, nurses,
lab technicians, and everyone else in the medical profession has been called to
the front to combat the enemy. All others stand in support of these fighters.
In this, the whole world stands as one. Yet there are a few who would sow seeds
of dissension. I have heard the rumors of conspiracy, seen the actions of
greed, witnessed panic-stricken individuals out the protect themselves without
thought of how it would affect others. But let us not concentrate on that. These
are seeds sown by the enemy. We need to stand united to win this war. This time
it is the entire population of the earth that is under attack and we must unite
in our efforts if we want to eradicate the enemy.
In Matthew 24 verse 22 we find these words of
comfort. “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” We know that
God loves us. Although we may be witnessing the results of our error, we know
that God will intervene and protect us from our own selves when necessary. He
is patiently waiting for us to return His love. Unless we love Him, we can
never feel the love He has for us.
Social distancing means that we can no longer
gather for prayer, but we can still pray. More and more online prayer meetings
are being arranged, so we can still pray together. Those who have
been housebound due to injury or illness, and not been able to attend physical meetings, can now join us.
This current crisis has given us an
opportunity to unite. Let us now take advantage of this so we can shorten the
days and prevent future crises.
