Is the world largely out of the protective cover of God? There’s reason to believe it, especially looking at the way Coronavirus pandemic is raging across the world. Who brings death? Satan.
Who gives life? God.
When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, showers
blessings and grave on people, there can’t be death in such a scale as is
happening now. How does a person or place or country go out of the protective
cover of God? It happens when sins increase. Naturally. When God’s blessings disappear,
Satan takes over. Satan is a killer, liar and manipulator. No wonder, devil is
having his macabre dance now in the form of coronavirus.
Has sin increased in the world? Yes, without
doubt. People across the world are swimming in a sea of sins, knowingly or unknowingly
that they are being trapped by Satan through different ways.
Sin happens through different forms. Go
through the Ten Commandments. All are being violated rampantly and without any
fear of God. From atheism, idolatry (in the form of money, property and people),
abortion, sacrilege of the marriage, adultery, homosexuality/ same sex marriage,
alcoholism, drug use, amassing of wealth, slander to murders/ killings, sins
have multiplied across the world.
When people sin, God can’t act or shower His
blessings unless they seek forgiveness, reconciliation and repentance. Satan
knows it very well. The world belongs to Satan as Bible also tells us. Unless
we repent and reconcile with God, the death dance of Satan will continue.
Satan goes berserk when sins increase and more
and more people are getting into that trap. Sorry to say sins have multiplied
in the so-called Western countries and the US where Coronavirus is taking a
huge toll on human lives. God’s grace and blessings are urgently needed in
these regions and for that, people will have to repent and turn away from sins.
Sin means death. A sinless life with Jesus Christ means eternal life in glory.
In Old Testament, we come across many
instances when God destroyed cities and regions through flood, fire and
pandemics. How can we come out of the crisis? New Testament gives the answer.
Follow His words. There’s no other way.
All these thoughts leave a big question: Has
the church lived up to expectations? Doubtful. Church has largely failed in evangelizing
the world. Church hasn’t done much to stop the macabre dance of Satan. Church
leaders spent more time in institutionalizing the church. Clericalism is at its
peak. It has adopted a corporate culture.
Church is gripped by a web of obsessions and
procedures. “If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our
consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living
without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus
Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a
goal in life,” says Evangelii Gaudium.
It’s time to
seek God. It’s time for repentance. We must keep Satan and his minions out of
our lives. Don’t give them control over lives. Satan has tightened his grip now:
coronavirus is one example. We don’t know whether anything more is in store. But
we can stop Satan’s death dance. As St John the Baptist said, turn away from
sins and repent. It’s time now. There’s no other option.
While each
person individually will have to take efforts to come back to Jesus Christ like
the prodigal son, church should lead from the front. Go all out against the
evil one. Pope, bishops, preachers and priests have a big role to play in this
battle. Let’s win this battle. That’s what God wants.
-- George Mathew
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