Post-COVID Hope

As we contemplate the post-COVID word, one has to wonder what it will be like. Let me say that I am neither a theologian nor a medical professional . I do hold a doctorate, but not in the medical field. As someone once said, I’m not the kind of doctor that does anybody any good. There may be other outcomes, but I sometimes have tunnel vision and don’t see other possibilities.

I see two possible outcomes as we emerge from this. First, the disease goes away or a cure/vaccine is found for it. The world has always faced pandemics. The Bubonic Plague, or Black Death killed up to 200 million people in the fourteenth century. It was overcome with isolation and medication. And an immunity built up. Natives on a Caribbean island were being invaded by European forces. The natives had experienced the Plague and those who made it through built up an immunity. When invaded, they didn’t fight the Europeans, but retreated to the mountains. Of course they were followed, but little fighting occurred as the Europeans caught the Plague and died in large numbers.

Our medical knowledge has made great strides since then and I do not see it out of the realm of possibility that a cure or immunization will be found. And soon. History is replete with diseases that we have conquered. I know this is controversial, but get the immunization – for yourself and for us all.

On my second outcome, I tread lightly, but feel it is within the realm of possibility. There are hundreds of references in the Bible about Jesus’ second coming to earth. John 14:3 reads “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” When Jesus ascended into heaven, we read in Acts 1:10-11 “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” These two are believed to be angelic beings, based on their sudden appearance, their raiment, and their message. 

It is useless to speculate when this second coming may occur. In Matthew 24 Jesus was talking about the end times. He stated in verse 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” The human Jesus did not even know. No one knows when but the Father. And I certainly am not predicting Jesus imminent second coming. But I do believe it is a possibility. Of course, in the Bible, God does not measure time as we do. It says he is coming soon. The Lord does not count time as we do. He is above and outside of the sphere of time. God sees all of eternity’s past and future. So for us to impose our concept of soon on God’s timeline is a futile pursuit. Jesus is coming again. Soon. But when is “soon?” Furthermore, I would not speculate the manner of His second coming. He caught everyone by surprise when he came the first time. I think the same could be true of the second coming, we may be caught by surprise. It doesn’t matter if it is tomorrow or 100 years from now. I know where I will be at the end of my time on earth.

In the meantime, we continue doing what God has told us to do. We pray and work for a cure to COVID. We represent Jesus to the World. We are to be ever vigilant for His return. Like the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 we are to “keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Let’s be ready.

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