COVID-19. Coronavirus. These terms, once unheard, have become household discussions. Once considered a non-issue in this part of the world, COVID-19 is now a hot-button in most every society. We dare not make light of it. We cannot simply erase it. But in isolation, we must face it. The coronavirus has taught us a lot about the necessity of hygiene… A process that we should have learned in kindergarten. Yet, its importance is once again in the forefront of our minds.
Without implying any moral equivalence, the juxtaposition of the coronavirus and sin is uncanny. Sin, at first glance, seems a nonissue to oneself. Its breakage and consequence are superficially attributed to the thought, action, or verbiage of someone else. Yet, with all humility and honesty, we must admit that we fall victim to sin because we, too, yield all too frequently to temptation. In his epistle, James tells us in no uncertain terms that when we sin, in one given area, we have become a sinner. Paul does not tread lightly when he said to the church of Rome that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “the wages of sin is death”.
We cannot ignore the overarching and incapacitating comparison. COVID-19 creates a sense of fear and the potential of impending death. Yet, there is a sense of hope… hope of a cure… hope of a vaccine… hope of building an immunity to this situationally deadly virus. Sin, in contrast, is deadly to everyone. There is no maybe, and the only situational variable is whether or not a person knows right from wrong. Sin demands judgement. There are no excuses; its wages is death, but there is hope. From cover-to-cover, the Bible shares the hope of God to all who will accept it. His name is Jesus. This weekend, we remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was laid in the tomb for three days, and, through the power of the Spirit, was raised again on the third day. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Without implying any moral equivalence, the juxtaposition of the coronavirus and sin is uncanny. Sin, at first glance, seems a nonissue to oneself. Its breakage and consequence are superficially attributed to the thought, action, or verbiage of someone else. Yet, with all humility and honesty, we must admit that we fall victim to sin because we, too, yield all too frequently to temptation. In his epistle, James tells us in no uncertain terms that when we sin, in one given area, we have become a sinner. Paul does not tread lightly when he said to the church of Rome that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “the wages of sin is death”.
We cannot ignore the overarching and incapacitating comparison. COVID-19 creates a sense of fear and the potential of impending death. Yet, there is a sense of hope… hope of a cure… hope of a vaccine… hope of building an immunity to this situationally deadly virus. Sin, in contrast, is deadly to everyone. There is no maybe, and the only situational variable is whether or not a person knows right from wrong. Sin demands judgement. There are no excuses; its wages is death, but there is hope. From cover-to-cover, the Bible shares the hope of God to all who will accept it. His name is Jesus. This weekend, we remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was laid in the tomb for three days, and, through the power of the Spirit, was raised again on the third day. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
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