For the full context of this post read Proverbs 13:16.
The county in which I live has begun to release a daily report which notes how many cases, deaths, and recoveries from coronavirus are in the region. Each day, I compare the current numbers to the numbers from the day before. Each day, there are more cases, there are usually more deaths, and thankfully, there are starting to be more recoveries from the virus. It is a very difficult time for everyone. Proverbs provides a quick bite of wisdom which may help us to navigate during this season.
16 Wise people think before they act;
fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness ( Proverbs 13:16, NIV).
There is no news blast that is going to be released today that lifts all shelter in place orders. The COVID-19 pandemic is not a conspiracy; it is real. At the most simplistic level of information sharing, there are more coronavirus cases today than there were yesterday. We all feel the impact of lost jobs, students out of school, businesses closed, and our mental health playing tricks on us. Most of us cannot comprehend the number of people who have died from this virus over the past several months, or the life saving efforts from first responders.
I liken our understanding of this event to the understanding that a child may when a parent tells him no. Parents have greater knowledge than children. They can predict results better than children. They understand safety threats. Children do not. Children often hear no and think that parents are mean, don’t know what it’s like to be a kid, or even that their parents have a conspiracy theory against them! As children grow into adulthood they realize that parents don’t say no to be mean or conspire against their children, but that their immature minds were unable to comprehend the same safety threats that their parents could foresee. I propose the same is true of this pandemic. We are the children. Researchers, scientists, and medical doctors are the parents.
My state is on day 61 of our shelter in place order, and it’s hard! Nobody likes it and nobody wants it to continue. Could we gather with friends, be rebels, not wear masks, and even brag about it? Yes. Is it wise? No. We have been asked to social distance, to shelter in place, to do our part to limit the spread of the virus. Do we understand? No, but I believe that God has gifted many scientists, researchers, and doctors who are working diligently to provide remedies for this pandemic. They have asked for our cooperation. Whether I want to or not, I am going to practice the character key that Proverbs 13:16 suggests. I am going to be wise, think before I act, and stay home. Will you join me, but not physically join me, but join me?
Great post!
Great analogy!