Let's Heal the Land

There are few places that one can go where the words Corona Virus or Covid 19 aren't heard now. It's a plague that has come upon the whole world. Turn on the TV and every news cast is filled from beginning to end with tales of sickness and death and fear. That's what newscasts do. They don't describe the everyday miracles that we enjoy. You don't hear about how many babies were born healthy this week, or that the sun came up again, just like it has since the beginning of time. Air is still free. Granted, air in some places is better quality than in other places.I'd much rather breath the air here in Hoonah Alaska than in Beijing China, but there still isn't any charge for it no matter where you live. There are still trees and flowers and deserts and beaches and everything in between. However, things aren't the way they were designed to be. Earth wasn't made polluted, with dirty air and streams. We made it that way by some of our practices. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be mining or logging or fishing or farming. God made us stewards over the earth. It's our responsibility to take care of it. In return we get to use the bounty of it. In the same manner, God doesn't desire for us to suffer with illness. When he created the Garden of Eden and put Adam and Eve in it, everything was perfect. There wasn't any illness or fear or hatred. They disobeyed the Lord, and it's been downhill ever since.  I don't believe that this virus that has become a world wide plague is God's doing. The bible says the thief( Satan) comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. It sounds like what is happening now. In this country we've gone from setting records in the stock market and having record employment in this country, to losing trillions in peoples retirement accounts and the possibility of millions of people applying for unemployment insurance in a really, really short period of time. In times of crisis, our priorities suddenly become more clear. We realize how little control we really have over our lives. We start to get serious about things that we should have been serious about all along. I'm preaching to the choir here folks. I've slacked off in my relationship with the Lord. I've allowed myself to slip- eating too much, gossiping, having hate filled thoughts about those I don't agree with. I won't go into the laundry list of sins I'm guilty of, that's between me and God.  I'm not pointing a finger at anyone, but I will say as a country, we have put God on the back burner. It's evident in our every day lives. The language we use, the shows we watch, the behavior we exhibit. This country is on a downhill slide and it could be that this Corona virus is a wake up call. It could be a blessing in disguise to get us to take a good look at our morals as a country. We've enjoyed an abundance of blessings for a long, long time, but I don't think our actions as a nation reflect an attitude of gratitude for the one from whom they've come. Let's use this virus as an opportunity to return to God. In the book of the bible, 2 Chronicles 7:14 it says, If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I could be wrong, but I don't think he's calling everybody to do this, only those who are called by his name. That's not to say that we shouldn't all heed the call. If you aren't a Christian, there's no time like the present. Please remember the folks who are putting  their lives on the line in hospitals around the world. Pray that God will give them strength to endure, pray for the scientists who are working for a cure for this virus, for the politicians who are leading this country, that God would give them wisdom and a spirit of integrity, and for all those who are sick and suffering, that His healing hand would be upon us all and for this land, that He would fill us with His spirit and we would become the people he wants us to be, that we could once again experience peace and prosperity. God bless and keep you all.