There is a real threat upon us with this Coronavirus. We all know that people have died, and it’s spreading. We also know that the virus is most dangerous/deadly to people who are older, who have underlying health problems, or who are immunocompromised. For most however, the virus appears to pose no greater threat than seasonal flu. More people have been infected and died with seasonal flu than COVID-19 this winter, and there are other more serious threats to some. Over one million die each year from tuberculosis for example.

Hype

And yet, we’re all experiencing the media’s frenzied hype. There is much misinformation due in part to the drive for ratings and perhaps in part due to some who can’t resist embellishment for whatever personal reasons. One government official when on television said COVID-19 is ten times more deadly than seasonal flu. The same official stated to Congress that it’s no more deadly than seasonal flu. Of course, the media has played up the first statement. Leaders on both sides of the political aisle have run the gamut from dismissal of a threat, to making jokes about who they wished would contract it, to excoriation, to near-panic. And the media has puffed it all.

Opportunists

And then there are the opportunists. We may wonder at the differing motivations for different actors across the globe in this thing. Regardless of your political leanings, there’s one thing we can all agree on: it’s an election year, and those who have a visceral hatred of the President are using this crisis against him every way they can. As Rahm Emanuel quipped, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that, it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”

Some have offered credible and troubling thoughts based on different kinds of evidence. Certain insiders have speculated this whole thing is a hoax to take away more of our liberties. Others have averred it’s a test to determine how easily populations can be controlled. Some say the virus came from a Chinese lab by accident, and still others assert it’s a US bio-weapon inadvertently released. Financial experts have warned of economic collapse for some time and see global actors using the virus as cover for their failing. The fall-out for economic policy-makers would be horrendous if they were to blame and not something like a pandemic.

God

And yet, in the end, we can trust God. We know He’s in control and that He loves His people. We know He does all things for our good – to conform us to the image of His Son. Regardless of the virus or those who would use it for hidden purposes, none of it has taken the Lord by surprise. And remember, God will keep you in perfect peace, when your mind is stayed on Him, because you trust in Him (Isa. 26:3).