You Want Me Out Of Your Lives?

By  Dan E. Nino

That’s an intriguing statement. Let me explain. 

There are several theories about this pandemic menace that’s gripping across the world. We are in an uncertain and difficult health and medical crisis that seems no end in sight,

Several theories circulating as to the cause of  this Covid-19 include:  It’s God’s purpose to punish us for getting him out of our lives. Another theory is that it’s part of a biological and chemical warfare instigated by China to halt continuing protest in Hongkong and to infect the West for world hegemony or dominance and distract these countries from restraining China in its control of the South Seas like the Philippines and Vietnam; conspiracy; espionage and counter espionage; the consumption of wild animals like bats, among others.

My own theory is the first one why God allowed this to happen. God is loving, forgiving, just but also a jealous God. Because God is just, He gave us free will to manage our own affairs. However, we went too far and abused that free will. Some of us are atheists like China which is a Godless society and  suppressed religious freedom. Even in the U.S. led by Ron Prescott Reagan Jr., the son of our well-admired Pres. Ronald Wilson Reagan is promoting atheism on television; The seculars among our institutions even want to  eliminate prayers in schools and other places, replace the Christmas greetings like “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays”, eliminate the crosses that symbolize our redemption, eliminate Christmas Nativity scene, eliminate the Ten Commandments replica in government and public buildings, etc.

These examples have basis in our bible. Remember the Israelites led by Moses who fled Egypt? They worshipped molten or graven images as their gods and bickered among themselves.  When they  grumbled against Moses and Aaron after they ran out of food and  water, God at the request of Moses provided manna (bread) and quail from heaven and provided water after Moses struck a rock with his rod from which water had gushed out. As punishment for their doubts and wickedness, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and the Jordan Desert for 40 years and did not reach the Promised Land. Eventually, they reached the Promised Land led by Joshua, the right hand man of Moses after Moses died somewhere in Madaba, Jordan, about 18 miles from Amman, Jordan.

God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstones and fire because of inhospitality when a mob accosted the angels sent by God, and other sins like sexual perversion, homosexuality (although this reason is still debatable), etc. Only the good man Lot escaped this fury but his wife was transformed into a pillar of salt when she defied God’s instruction not to look back to see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Genesis 18-19: For I have chosen him (referring to Lot) so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just so that the Lord will bring about Abraham what He has promised him.    

The centurions who guarded and mocked Lord Jesus repented and acknowledged that Jesus was the son of God when darkness fell and earthquake ensued with rocks splitting, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life, the centurions exclaimed, “Surely, he was the son of God.”  Matthew 27:54. 

And when Saint Paul whose former name was Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus, Syria to persecute Christians there, he was blinded and fell from his horse and saw the face of Jesus who said to him, “Why are you persecuting my people?” From that moment on, Paul, a former Pharisee,  became an avid follower and apostle of Jesus Christ. He became a preacher and wrote several letters to the Corinthians, Romans. Ephesians, to name a few.   

In Isaiah 26-20, God said, Come my people, enter thy chamber and shut the doors. Hide for a little moment after the wrath of is over. These are some of analogies that’s worth reflecting as we are into the fourth month of this pandemic in the U.S. Do we want God to be out of our lives? – denino1951@gmail.com