Songs In The Night

³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” – John 18:37-38.

Liar, Liar

If the word of the day is fear, the question of the day is, “What is truth?”. Let’s begin with China. According to one theory, in a lab in Wuhan a super virus was being created using horseshoe bats. Apparently this virus was being developed for intended use in biological warfare. Unfortunately, the virus “escaped” the lab and immediately infected unsuspecting Wuhan residents. But there was no need to worry. According to Wuhan officials and health experts, “there was no obvious evidence for human-to-human transmission” and the coronavirus was “preventable and controllable”.

Despite the downplay of the threat, we know just how dangerous the virus really is. Maybe.

According to the Chinese government, the death total in Wuhan was limited to 2500. The city was locked down and the deceased were taken directly to funeral homes for cremation. Then the remains were put in urns for the families to retrieve at a later date (Saturday April 11th the city was re-opened). Interestingly, despite having only 2500 deaths, the eight Funeral homes in Wuhan were receiving urns by the truckloads. According to Time magazine, one funeral home had over 5000 delivered over a two day period. Another had 3500 urns stacked inside. Also, there were reports of the crematories operating 24/7. Somehow the math just doesn’t add up.

As family members return to Wuhan to collect the urns containing the remains of their loved ones, they have to be escorted by a communist official. I highly doubt these officials specialize in grief counseling. However I am sure they are very good at preventing any unwanted information from escaping Wuhan.

If these reports are true, we have to ask, why would a Communist government lie to it’s populace? Why would they lie to the world? Probably for many of the same reasons a “Free” country would practice deception.

Deceivers

For the Chinese government, a high death toll from the coronavirus is a black eye to Communism. Apparently, in the United States, it is an opportunity to advance it. The greater the fear among the populace, the greater the need for a larger Government and its intervention. Perhaps former Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev was prophetic when he charged the American people of being gullible. He stated that while we would not accept communism outright, we would tolerate it in small doses until one day we woke up and found we already have it. Or as Adolf Hitler once said, “It is a quite special secret pleasure how the people around us fail to realize what is really happening to them.”

Think I am exaggerating? Perhaps. But the CDC has issued internal memos promoting a medical “bias” towards the coronavirus. Per their memos, medical professionals are “encouraged” to look for the virus in every illness. Furthermore, everyone who dies with coronavirus is counted as having died from it. How many of these people who have died from complications of the virus would have died from the underlying cause? It appears that as the death toll related to COVID-19 rises exponentially, those dying from illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza have all but disappeared. The higher the death toll from COVID-19, the greater the fear, the greater our need for government. Would our elected representatives really use a crisis for political gain??

As I have stated before, I take this virus very seriously. I also believe that Government is God ordained. But as I read the overabundance of data it is difficult not to be some what cynical. We are told to listen to the experts, but their advice changes daily (or so it seems). One day we are told that face masks are ineffective against the virus, the next we are told not to go out in public without them. Originally, people were told they did not need to be tested for the virus if they did not have certain symptoms such as a fever or respiratory issues, now we are told that many carriers are asymptomatic. I understand that there is a learning curve, but that doesn’t diminish the confusion or skepticism.

Besides, it is hard not to become somewhat cynical when businesses are being destroyed to “save lives”, yet it is deemed essential to sell alcohol, marijuana, and lottery tickets. And to add insult to injury, abortions also are deemed essential. This isn’t just ironical, it is hypocritical. While corporate greed is condemned government greed is flaunted. Apparently all greed isn’t created equal. Fortunately, despite what some of our politicians may have us believe, they are not worthy objects of our faith.

Faith

I don’t know how long the coronavirus will be around, but I am confident there will be more pandemics to follow. Likewise, I don’t know how much longer our country will be a beacon of Freedom. After all, it appears that toilet paper has become more important than the Constitution. While we hoard the first we trash the latter. But all is not doom and gloom. Whether we live under a Communist regime or in the last days of a fading Republic, our government was never meant to be our savior. Men will always fail us. In these trying times, as in all times, we must look for a “redeeming” value, which is what U of M football coach Jim Harbaugh has done. As much as it pains this MSU grad, I have to share his quote.

“Even now, as we all go through what we’re going through with COVID-19, I see people more concerned about others. More prayerful. As I said, God has virtually stopped the world from spinning. I don’t think it’s coincidence — my personal feeling, living a faith-based life, this is a message or this is something that should be a time where we grow on our faith for reverence and respect for God. You see people taking more of a view of sanctity of life. And I hope that can continue. I hope that continues and not just in this time of crisis or pandemic.” (Emphasis mine)

As he spoke in regards to the sanctity of human life, Coach Harbaugh went on to state that in his opinion, there is nothing more horrendous than abortion, but that is for another blog. However, look closely at what he said about faith. In the mist of chaos and confusion, God is our only refuge. Now is not a time to let lies and deception rule the day, rather it is a time “where we grow on our faith for reverence and respect for God.” In order to do so we have to saturate ourselves in Truth. Which only comes from Him through His inspired Word.

Truth

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” – George Orwell

No doubt, COVID-19 dominates the media. But if it didn’t, we would be consuming ourselves with sports, politics, entertainment, etc. Nothing worthy of the time and attention we usually devote to them. As Coach Harbaugh reminds us, perhaps God is using this to get our attention. To use his illustration, perhaps God has stopped the world from spinning to remind us that He is the axis. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is not only Sovereign over the affairs of the world, He is the source of Truth. An important reminder in these days of lies and deceptions.

As Jesus stood before Pilate with the shadow of the cross descending upon him, Pilate cynically asked, “What is truth?”. Ironically, in the form of the God-Man, Jesus stood before this mighty political figure in the form of Truth incarnate. In Pilate mankind was represented. Enslaved by the father of lies, Satan the great deceiver. His only interest: his own political welfare. Sound familiar? If only Pilate would have embraced the Truth before him. But Pilate couldn’t handle the Truth.

The lies of the world are constantly trying to keep us in darkness, but the Truth is always more powerful.

On this Resurrection Sunday may you bask in it’s Light and grow in your reverence and respect for God. The only One worthy of our faith and deserving of our praise.

What is Truth?

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” – John 2:19

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. – John 19:28-30

⁴⁵ And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. – Mark 15:45-46

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” – Luke 24:5b-7

¹⁵ and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. – Acts 3:15

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31b-32

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!!!