CNN, by Angela Dewan: A woman at an Australian supermarket allegedly pulls a knife on a man in a confrontation over toilet paper. A Singaporean student of Chinese ethnicity is beaten up on the streets of London and left with a fractured face. Protesters on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion welcome cruise passengers by hurling abuse and rocks at them.
The coronavirus risks bringing out the worst in humanity.
Never mind that Australia’s toilet paper supply is plentiful, that the Singaporean has no links to the virus and that not a single passenger on the Princess cruise ship that docked in Reunion was infected.
Irrational and selfish incidents like these are likely the exception, not the rule, but an everyone-for-themselves mentality—or each family, even each country—appears to be growing, putting into question the world’s ability to unite and slow the coronavirus’ spread.
Leaders of affected nations are scrambling to seize some control of the situation. They impose restrictive measures in their countries, inject money into their economies, and promise their health systems will somehow find the extra beds, doctors, and nurses they will inevitably need.
Yet there seems to be little coordination between countries to address what is by nature a global challenge.
Face masks around the world are running out, as people who don’t need them hoard them. The US is stockpiling them, while South Korea, Germany, and Russia, among others, have banned their export to ensure their own people have enough.
India, which makes 20% of the world’s medicinal drugs by volume, has halted certain medicines from being exported. Yes, it is unable to source enough ingredients from China and can’t make its usual output, but it is also likely keeping them for its own people.
Our Comment:
Crisis reveals character, and this crisis is definitely bringing out the selfishness in many hearts. May we, as followers of Christ, seek to spread a different influence—one of unselfish service, compassion and hope in a time of crisis.
Prophetic Link:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…” 2 Timothy 3:1, 2.
Comments
Delsie Knicely
Tuesday March 17th, 2020 at 02:56 PMI enjoy your sermons. i am shareing them at this time. keep sending them to me. i would like to get some extra ones to share. God Bless what you are doing. i am a seventh day adventist. you have open my eyes.
admin
Tuesday March 17th, 2020 at 07:56 PMWe would love to send you more sermons. Please call us at (540) 672-3553 between 8 am and 5:30 pm, Monday-Thursday or between 8 am and 12 pm on Fridays.
Irene Cooper
Thursday March 19th, 2020 at 08:50 AMThank you Pastor for sharing these truths with us in a time when truth is rarely spoken. God’s blessings be upon you and your ministry