Should I fear the coronavirus?

We have all heard of the "coronavirus" by now. The term that is currently being used is COVID-19. It refers to a respiratory illness. As of now, there is no known cure and many people have died from this virus. According to a recent article in Live Science, Scientists are not certain how the disease originated. Coronaviruses also include SARS and MERS and are passed between animals and humans. We understand that the epicenter of the disease is Wuhan China. Hopefully a vaccine will be developed soon. The disease has spread to every continent except Antarctica. People are panicking as they hear constant news reports of increasing death tolls in the United States.

I was surprised Sunday morning when a member asked if I was going to shake hands with the congregants. I said not only was I going to shake hands, but I recently ate Chinese food. This caused me to think about how we should be handling this situation. I did some research and found an article by Thom Rainer. He was my doctoral supervisor in seminary, and recently served as the president of LifeWay Christian Resources. He wrote that churches should reconsider the meet and greet part of the worship service. He listed several other health precautions churches should consider such as using technology for worship and online giving.

Should we panic over the coronavirus? Do we need to tell everyone to stay home and watch our worship services over a live stream on a computer? I am reminded of 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." Instead of panicking, we need to take reasonable precautions and go about our lives as usual. If we start dwelling on all the things that could kill us, we will become paralyzed with fear. I don't believe that we were created to live in that condition.

Did you know there is no cure for death? Sure, researchers are investing time and resources to prolong life, but death is inevitable. You may have read or heard Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." If you are prepared spiritually, you can live without fearing death.

I have been thinking about how coronavirus compares to seasonal flu. According to estimates by the CDC, from October 1, 2019 to February 1, 2020, 12,000 people have died in the US. And the number of deaths may be as high as 30,000. Tens of millions of people have caught the fu this season with hundreds of thousands being hospitalized for treatment.

There are other causes of death that could keep you from ever wanting to leave your house. Some of my family members were directly affected by the tornados that hit middle Tennessee earlier this week. Sadly, people died in their homes. We are reminded that there are safety precautions we all need to follow in the event of a tornado, but even then, it is possible to do all the right things and still end up being killed. I am thankful for ministries like my denomination's Disaster Relief that go in and attempt to help people put their lives back together after such tragedies.

Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a serious disease and I am praying for a cure. We are right to be concerned about catching a life-threatening disease, but we cannot and should not live in fear. Perhaps there are some who are trying to create hysteria for political reasons, for ratings, or for some other ulterior reasons. We need to weigh all the facts before we go to extremes.

One positive outcome of the coronavirus talk is it reminds us of the importance of good hygiene. Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Stay home if you are ill so you do not spread your sickness to others. Maybe you would want to do as the cashier did at Wal-Mart the other day. I noticed she was wearing latex gloves while handling the money. Not a bad idea. Maybe I will wear a pair during the meet and greet at Bethany this Sunday.