SENTINEL WATCH May 25, 2009 Issue

DIVINE LIGHT OUTSHINES SWINE FLU

ROSALIE E. DUNBAR, NEWS EDITOR

AS CASES OF SWINE FLU APPEAR in various countries, international and national public health authorities are taking steps to protect citizens. Generally speaking, officials have been alert but not frantic. While many have displayed wisdom and calm, others have unwittingly encouraged an atmosphere of fear about the possibility of a flu pandemic. Our prayerful "watch" over society can defang this insidious threat—which is once again accompanied by reminders of the 1918 flu pandemic.

The Bible provides much inspiration to those who wish to address this concern. One passage speaks to the uncertainty that can surround flu, particularly in cases where there are questions about exposure or how to stay safe. Speaking of life under God's care, the psalm declares, "You won't fear diseases that strike in the dark, or sudden disaster at noon" (Ps. 91:6, Contemporary English Version). Under God's care, there is no time or place where darkness—physical or mental—can hide or induce disease.

The Bible makes another helpful point when it says, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5). In the presence of God, where all of His children—you, me, everyone—live, there is no darkness of sickness, disease, or danger. There's no need to accept the belief that certain countries where cases have occurred are in some way more dangerous than others, or that some have purer environments than others. Prayer can recognize that all people are loved and directed by God, and live in the same light. This is the reality of our, and everyone's, being.

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