Red Scare

04/01/20 • 1 min

You couldn’t turn on the television without hearing a news report about the health scare. The world was in an uproar, government officials were trying to figure out how best to handle it, and parents were taking special precautions with their children. Billion-dollar industries were brought to their knees and suffered its effect for years. What was this entity that plagued the world? Red M&Ms in the 1970s.

In Matthew 5, Jesus says “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

I in no way want to make light of the current pandemic facing the world, and I encourage everyone to keep in your prayers those being affected by this outbreak.

But you do have to admit that when a candy product is one of the worst health scares of any year, our society is pretty pampered, and it’s no wonder we’re having such a hard time adjusting to the current situation.

I wonder if it isn’t the same with our faith. We have brothers and sisters throughout the world suffering incredible persecution on a daily basis. So many Christians worship in small groups like we are today, not so they won’t get sick, but so they won’t be killed. How blessed we are to be able to worship freely, but how easy it is to take it for granted.

Remember to pray for those being persecuted, and commit to appreciating the gift you have to worship openly. Take advantage of this responsibility, and share the Good News everywhere you go.

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In Matthew 5, Jesus says “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

I in no way want to make light of the current pandemic facing the world, and I encourage everyone to keep in your prayers those being affected by this outbreak.

Remember to pray for those being persecuted, and commit to appreciating the gift you have to worship openly. Take advantage of this responsibility, and share the Good News everywhere you go.

Support the show

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Survivor

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Tsutomu Yamaguchi was a 29-year-old engineer in Japan. On August 6, 1945, he was preparing to head back home after a three-month business trip in Hiroshima. On the way to the station, however, he realized he forgot an item at his workplace and went back to retrieve it. Upon returning to the station, the American bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb only 3 km away from Yamaguchi. He was left with burns, ruptured eardrums, and temporary blindness from the ordeal, but he survived and was able to return to his hometown of Nagasaki

Yamaguchi reported back to work three days later and was describing the experience to his supervisor. While talking to him, the American bomber Bockscar dropped another atomic bomb, this one also just three km away from Yamaguchi. Incredibly, he survived this blast as well, and is the only person officially recognized as having survived both explosions.

In Deuteronomy (31:6), we are encouraged to “be strong and courageous. ... [God] will not leave you or forsake you.”

Our hope is that when this pandemic is over, we will all be able to look back and share our experiences of survival and isolation. The fact of the matter, however, is that we are never truly alone. God is always with us, and will never leave us or forsake us.

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Not-So-Sticky Situation

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In 1968, Dr. Spencer Silver, a scientist at 3M, was trying to develop an ultra-strong adhesive. Instead, he accidentally ended up creating a weak, re-positionable adhesive, but he couldn’t figure out what to do with it.

Five years later, a colleague asked to use the adhesive on the back of a bookmark for his hymnal. The idea took off, and a new product was created and rolled out to the public in 1979 ... the post-it note.

Paul tells the Ephesians (5:15-17) – and us – to “look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Due to the current public health directives as a result of COVID-19, I, like Dr. Silver, have accidentally made the following wonderful re-discoveries: There is such a thing as life without sports; slowing down can be more productive than being extremely busy; the fingerprints of God are evident all around us; and there is no such thing as spending too much time with those you love.

Take advantage of the extra time you have right now to refocus on the things that are most important, and commit to making these things a bigger part of every day when this pandemic is over.

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