I wrote this a year ago when I was being told that COVID was going to wipe us all out. And even though we’ve traded our ungodly obsession with toilet paper for an ungodly obsession with vaccines, the sentiments hold true.

I’d like to take a moment and say thank-you to everyone who made the national quarantine possible. Whatever role you played in getting the shut-down started-up, I appreciate you.

I paraphrased a passage of scripture from the book of Luke. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been forced to stay home.

LUKE 12:13-21 (paraphrased)

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to think of my health and safety.” 

¹⁴ But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 

¹⁵ Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 

¹⁶ And He told them a parable, saying, “The land in America was very productive. 

¹⁷ And the people began reasoning to themselves, saying, ‘What shall we do, since a virus is quite contagious and many people have died from it?’ 

¹⁸ Then they said, ‘This is what we will do: We will isolate ourselves from each other, and build bigger barns to store hand sanitizer and toilet paper.’ 

¹⁹ And we will say to our soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many weeks to come; flatten the curve, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 

²⁰ But God said to us, ‘You fools! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 

²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

²² And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to which disease you will devour you and what power you have to avoid it.

²³ For life is more than bread, and the body more than face masks.”

I’ve read that (non-paraphrased) passage of scripture a zillion times but never in the midst of a global epidemic. I never saw myself as the fool building bigger barns.

Is it possible that God is using this awful virus to remind us who is really in charge of our lives?

Blaming Trump, or the Chinese, or the Democrats, or the Republicans…or each other for our current crisis is foolish. Covid-19 exists for the same reason we exist – God wills it. Washing your hands and hoarding toilet paper will not thwart God’s plans. Scolding me for “not taking this seriously” will not keep anyone alive one minute past the time God determines they die.

I stumbled on an irony while writing my little paraphrase. It’s found in the book of Ecclesiastes. At first it made me feel anxious. I’d prefer God’s word to be simple, predictable, and final. I’m not comfortable with paradox. I want to quote chapter and verse of the Bible and have that be the end of conversation. Don’t argue with me, I just quoted the Bible.

It’s not that easy. The Bible doesn’t answer every question. And if I have to wrestle with paradox while in isolation, I’m not going to do it alone.

There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:14