Yapan Walim
Oriental Colony, Dimapur
It's no comfort repeating the same what the media is already saying that cases are mounting and deaths are rising, only rephrasing it differently. This events have hopefully led people to re-prioritize what really matters in life as they stare in the face of their own mortality.
Anyhow, going straight forward to our discussion, is death inevitable? Yes and No. Yes, because we are all going to die, that is how God proposed it since the fall of the Adam. No, in so far as it relates to "premature deaths". In the second instance, we die prematurely either because of our reckless decisions or accidentally totally unrelated to our decision. We are all witness to how Iran took down their own airplane. Also, in what was also going to be a premature death for Nineveh people, although directly from the God's wrath, they were rescued because Jonah had timely proclaimed God's incoming wrath if they do not repent. We also know for a fact that Sodom and Gomorrah died a premature death because of the consequences of their own sin. We know this was a premature death when Jesus told people of Capernaum that they would have repented if the mighty works were done in Sodom instead (Matt 11:23). Same with the people of Tyre and Sidon (Matt 11:21-22). These were premature deaths because they died earlier than what God had intended for. Some were rescued while some were not. Most often people were rescued because God sent someone to proclaim His word. Take another instance, Hezekiah was not going to recover from his illness but he prayed to the Lord and the Lord granted him another fifteen years, but he would've died if not for Isaiah the prophet (2 Kings 20:1-11). What these events also reveal is that our Lord sees multiple possible realities — Yes, DR JESUS beats DR STRANGE every time.
So, to answer the real question, are we to die from coronavirus? My response would be a qualified Yes. Yes, in so far as our time had run its course. No, in so far as it relates to premature deaths and we are going to glorify God as He rescues us from the death — not to talk of low infection-death ratio.
Besides, what of the many prophets of old testament who died without receiving the promise themselves. They died without losing their trust because they were expecting a better place. Our earthly tent is a filthy bag compared to what is going to reveal to those of us saved, which is surpassingly of exceeding glory — and am not even meeting it saying that. So, how are we to approach this COVID-19 threats when some are rewarded for faith even in this earthly life while some are taken away from us? Thankfully, we have a biblical precedent even in this. In Daniel chapter, we read that King Nebuchadnezzar decreed all the people when they hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image of him. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:10-11). Three people — Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego — refused this decree because they feared God more. So the furious King Nebuchadnezzar threaten to throw them into a cauldron of burning sulfur while giving them a second chance but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3:16-18). God indeed delivered them, not one of their hair of the heads was singed, nor their cloaks were harmed, and not even a smell of fire had come upon them (Daniel 3:27).
Therefore, in drawing our lessons from these events, our Christian response should be, "I will put my trust in God even in the face of uncertainty but even if we are to die from this coronavirus also, we will never throw away our faith no matter what." For, as Paul says in Romans in 14:8, "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord."
In concluding this article, I hope and pray that we all are tested negative for coronavirus but let us make sure we all Christians are Tested Positive for Faith.
