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Pandemic Poem

4/23/2020

In times of trouble and of woe,
This is when our feelings flow
To express our doubts and fears
And overflow our eyes with tears.
Helpless in the current mess
Each day I’m having less and less.
How to eat or pay the rent?
Nothing I can do but vent!
What’s the purpose? Where’s the plan?
I’ll do anything I can.
Trust in God? How can it be
That I’ve forgotten to bow my knee?
Sovereign LORD, I humbly ask
That in your favor I may bask.
Forgive my foolishness and pride
To think my good would ever ride
On gifts my own instead of Yours?
I need you now to bring the cures.
Without you all I have is lost.
Return my heart, whate’er the cost.

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we are all in this together - covid-19

4/21/2020

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As many Americans are avoiding COVID-19 by staying at home, so it is with folks around the world. I happen to be in touch with a number of people in various countries, so thought I would share what they are going through.

England: One of my elderly friends is staying home, but moving her car each day so the tires don’t rot from being in one place too long. She is also clearing out her pantry and discovering food she had long forgotten she had. Not a bad thing, really.

Another friend is working on her gardening, and it shows. She walks to a nearby hospital in the mornings to pray for the patients and staff. She normally travels frequently, so now she is just traveling on Zoom. All three of us hope to meet on Zoom for afternoon tea, though it will likely still be morning my time.

Honduras: My cousin, Dr. Nathan Gilley, and his family recently moved to Honduras. After language study, he will be working at a hospital on the north coast for under-served communities. They took a break from language school at the beginning of March and went to that hospital for the birth of their 4th daughter. Then COVID-19 struck. They are still there and will be for some time. Grandparents were unable to visit to help with the care of the children. Local people are unable to work because of the shutdown, and are running out of money for food. The hospital is practicing to receive cases, but haven’t seen any in their area yet.

Nigeria: I recently spoke to a classmate from SOAS, University of London, who is now the Vice-Chancellor of a university in Nigeria. The universities have been closed for a month and he has been home with his family for the first time in a long time. He says the people in rural areas think of the virus as a disease of the Elite. If the “elite” don’t spread it, all will be well, but if it gets into these rural areas it will be disastrous. Many of these people are non-literate, so depend on information from radio and television.

Sudan: A former student of mine from the University of Khartoum messaged me to find out how I was. The news they hear of New York makes them think we are all dying like flies. I assured her I was fine. She says people there are very afraid. There are 70 cases in Khartoum, and their healthcare lacks a lot.

South Sudan: Two cases were reported on the UN compound and then two more from community spread. No testing has been done on a large scale, so the South Sudanese are staying home. The office and indeed the compound has closed down so no one is allowed in or out. The more extroverts of my acquaintance began to run down after three days of no human contact. Not sure if she will survive weeks and weeks of this!

Kenya: Ben’s mom was here about a month ago, but her visit was cut short in order for her to get back to her other children before the Kenyan borders closed. She flew via Dubai, and on the way from Dubai to Nairobi, one person on board tested positive for COVID-19. She self-isolated for two weeks, but she still can’t leave her apartment because the neighbors know she has traveled, and they are so afraid. If she leaves the house, someone may report her to the police who would then come and put her in quarantine outside her home. After that two weeks, she would be arraigned in court! The youngest daughter won’t even let her hang out the washing on the community clothesline. The city, at least, is under curfew from 7:00 pm – 6:00 am.

Uganda: An American colleague got stuck in Entebbe when the borders suddenly closed and there were no flights in or out. After 2-3 weeks he was able to get back home to his family.

A Ugandan friend in Entebbe confirmed what I had heard was happening there. Everyone is under strict orders to stay home for two weeks. If the police find you outside your house, you can be arrested for murder.

Bear in mind, that many of the poor people in these countries live from day to day by manual labor. They don’t have the resources to live for two weeks without working. The choices may be to die from the virus or die from starvation, or worse yet, to watch their children die. These are difficult times, and in so many ways, I feel we are blessed to have the support systems and healthcare options that we do. Let us thank God for his grace and many mercies to us.

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Reflection on what God may be doing through the Corona Virus pandemic

4/9/2020

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The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders and the earth melts! Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: see how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. (Psalm 46:6, 8-10)

As I read these verses today, the parallels to the present day once again jumped out at me. In only a matter of weeks, God has brought the personal, financial, business worlds to a screeching halt. Unemployment in the US is higher than ever before in history. The death toll is staggering. Commerce has nearly stopped as people are out of work, and thus afraid to spend money except for essentials. The grocery stores are doing well.

All the structures that we take for granted, food supplies, health care, government, business, industry, transportation, leisure industries have either been overwhelmed (health care) or nearly stopped. If we didn’t have the Internet, it would have stopped completely.

We think that somehow we are responsible for the blessings in our lives. We like to think we are self-made! However, in such a time as this, it becomes apparent that we are poor and needy creatures, and we need God.

I believe that in these days, God is asking us to “be still”. Since most of us are staying in our homes and unable to go to work or school or many of the activities we normally would pursue, we have time to Be Still. These words can also be translated as “Let Go”. We should let go of our expectations, ambitions, confidences and look to our loving God. In the verses above he says, “I will be honored by every nations. I will be honored throughout the world.” The world has stopped its normal activity, not because it wanted to but because it had no choice. Now is the time to honor God and recognize our need for him.

Psalm 104:10-34 provides a picture of what has happened with COVID-19.

(God) makes springs pour water into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.

You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth—wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength. The trees of the LORD are well cared for—the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests, and the storks make their homes in the cypresses. High in the mountains live the wild goats, and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.

You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. You send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals prowl about. Then the young lions roar for their prey, stalking the food provided by God. At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest. Then people go off to their work, where they labor until evening.

O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea. They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied. But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. When you give them your breath, life is created and you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the LORD continue forever! The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made! The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch. I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

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Pandemic Poem

we are all in this together - covid-19

Reflection on what God may be doing through the Corona Virus pandemic

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