Pandemic Questions

May 6, 2020.  Today marks my 51st day of physically isolating and distancing because of the reported world Pandemic caused by the virus named SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes named COVID-19, both of which are loosely referred to as the coronavirus, and due to the world’s reporting of and reaction to it.  The national “shut down” began on March 13 when President Trump declared a national emergency.  My personal distancing began on March 17.  Oregon’s “shut down” order took effect on March 23. I initially figured this Pandemic time would probably last through April.  Here we are at May 6th.  I’ve been trying to collect my thoughts, do some research, listen to various reports, listen to the recommendations of my government and church leaders, have been much in Bible study and prayer, and I’m trying to figure out what God is asking of me personally as this continues. Here are some of my thoughts I am trying to gather and consider.

• God is in control of all things, of governments and governmental leaders, of my church leaders, of every germ on the planet, and of me. God is sovereign over all things, but God is not to blame for viruses, sickness, suffering.
• God is trustworthy with this Pandemic trial/testing time He has allowed for His purposes in my life and the country and world around me, and God can be and must be trusted by believers.
• God will cause all things in my life to work together for my good and will do the same for the good of all His own believers, including using this Pandemic time.
• Christians are instructed by Paul, Peter and the Bible to obey their governmental leaders, except in cases of when Christ followers must obey God rather than men.
• What responsibility do Christ following Americans have to defend and speak for truth IF AND ONLY IF our constitutional rights as Americans are being taken away? What is our responsibility if our government leaders are tyrannical instead of working for the good of the citizens who elected them? Would this be considered an obey God rather than men scenario due to the constitutional rights with which God has granted and gifted American believers?
• If I am ever called by God to take a stand for American freedoms, how does God want it done?–Respectfully, prayerfully, peaceably?
• Do our government leaders and does our governor of Oregon Kate Brown have the right to decide what is to be deemed an “essential” activity or gathering during the Pandemic? Haircuts, etc. are essential in their own way for a person’s mental and emotional health.  Church physical gatherings are similarly mentally, emotionally, and spiritually essential.
• Are the government and Governor Brown relying on truth/ right science on which to base their decisions? Since the denominator is UNKNOWN as to how many actual cases of COVID-19 respiratory disease have occurred, it seems to me there is no real science or accurate data to report to determine what the actual fatality rate is for this disease. I personally believe it is likely not any worse than the flu and other germs except in the case of the elderly and those with certain medical conditions. Should we be isolating everyone and causing economic hardship on families and the risk of ruining our entire nation’s economy or should we only isolate those at high risk? Are many doctors who are trying to report their concerns in this regard being silenced?
• The best way to fight a virus is by achieving herd immunity doctors say. How can we achieve herd immunity by quarantining healthy people?
• How do we know for sure or how much physical isolation has reduced the spread of COVID-19? We would have to repeat the experiment again from mid March to present without any stay at home orders and compare the spread of the disease to be sure wouldn’t we? Didn’t other countries who did not practice distancing have no increase of the spread of COVID-19 compared to countries that did practice distancing? Are we sure that distancing and non-PPE masks make any difference? Is it just making us feel better out of fear?
• Should people have the right to choose for themselves whether they must physically isolate and where and how it is safe for them to physically participate?
• Statistics and data reporting have proven to be inadequate and inaccurate, and the “rules” and data have continually been changing. What is the truth?
• Is God calling the leaders of the American Christian church (the universal American church of all true Christ believers) to evaluate or take any stand against the prolonged closure of physical church gatherings? Or is God calling our church leaders and members to continue to obey the government and cease from physical gatherings? Is the closing of physical churches setting a precedent far more dangerous than any virus?
• Do our government leaders and Governor Brown have the right to forbid small business owners from operating, while those businesses have the ability to practice distancing and wise hygienic practices? Why are large chain businesses allowed to conduct business and not small businesses? Don’t less people frequent smaller businesses at lower risk?
• Will the economic, mental, emotional, educational, non-COVID-19 health care issues, etc. caused by the “shut down” and distancing prove to be worse and more far-reaching than the COVID-19 disease itself?
• Do the administrators of elderly facilities have the right to lock down their rent- paying residents and forbid ANYONE from visiting their loved one for any reason, or to even allow family to remove a resident from the facility if desired? What I am observing happening in many elderly retirement homes is nearly imprisonment. As great as the need may be to protect the elderly who are reported to be at high risk for COVID-19, do we have the right to so severely restrict elderly people of sound mind who have the right to make their own choices?
• Does the government have the right to define how many people I personally choose to isolate with or who is defined as my family/household?

I do not have the answers yet. I am pondering some questions. I need to think and act for myself, responsible before God, and not blindly follow what the world is telling me, in this and in everything. I am praying for wisdom for myself, my husband, for my Governor Brown who God has really, really called me to pray for intensely, for all leaders, for America, for the world. My heart breaks for any who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 or any other illness or reason. My heart breaks for those economically impacted or hurt in other ways.  My heart breaks for children home full time without school who have abusive or incompetent parents. My heart breaks for people who want to have the freedom to have a wedding ceremony or a funeral gathering. I hope and pray that the long-term overall world and USA economic impact will not be devastating for the future.  I truly wish the best for everyone, especially the next generation.  How we think and act matters for the future.

Ultimately, every person on this planet needs my Savior Jesus Christ as I have often written about in this blog website, for death is the great equalizer that is always near, whether we are in a Pandemic or not. Jesus will again return to earth and time will be up for everyone at that time.  No one knows when, but it will happen, and it could be at any time.  Consider Cemeteries Don’t Lie

Why am I writing this I am asking myself? Besides to clear my own head and to vent to myself, I hope this may cause others to ask these questions and to be wise to know what is happening to us, and what God is asking of each of us in response. If you have input on what God is asking of you, I would like to hear your feedback.  Be in touch at my personal email if you have it, or comment here at the website. Please keep comments respectful. Opinions vary widely as to what this Pandemic and the world’s response to it really is, what it all really means, and as to how we should be handling it. I value and respect people’s rights to their own opinions.  Let’s all consider this prayerfully, wisely, carefully.  For Christ followers, whatever we do, let’s not let differing opinions on this issue cause any disunity in our Christian local or universal churches.  And for we who truly know Christ, let’s keep our focus and eyes on Him so He can keep us in perfect peace no matter what happens around us.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Isaiah 26:3

May God be your peace and strength as we continue to walk through this.  May God keep me at peace and focused on Him, now and always.

Would you like to know how you can find peace with God? And how you can be assured of Christian truth?   https://www.gotquestions.org/peace-of-God.html  Would you like to explore whether the Bible is really true and is God’s Word?  https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-God-Word.html  I’m praying for you to really consider this. God is good.