Did someone say “pandemic?”  Is the sky really falling this time, or is Chicken-Little on the loose again? It seems the bird flu is on its way.  It is hard to know if this is just Y2K hysteria or if it is some kind of Chinese fire drill. Some are wondering if we should all go out and buy more duct tape.   It seems like just yesterday that everyone was afraid of getting anthrax in the mail.  Perhaps we should get ready.  Perhaps this is not a drill.  Maybe this is not a joke. This could be the pale horse of the apocalypse. 

 The word pandemic comes from two Greek words pan (all) demos (people). This virus could affect or infect everyone. Twenty-five million people perished it the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.  We give hurricanes numbers, this pandemic could be a category 5. 

 My advice is, don’t panic.  This world is filled with germs.  If you knew how many germs there were on the average dollar bill or 50¢ (not the rap artist)  you might say “keep the change” more often.   This world is a dirty and deadly place.  For this reason God gave Israel important guidelines about hygiene and food preparation.  It is only a miracle that the Prodigal son made it home after working in that pig sty during his rebellious days.  Laugh if you want, but it is not very intelligent to ignore the Intelligent Designer.  Mad cow disease is the result of feeding cows to cows.  That is not Intelligent design.   AIDS may have come from monkeys originally, but its history includes men who monkeyed around with  mother nature. 

 The Book of Revelation warns us of a red horse bringing war to our world. Perhaps the horse has left the stable with this “war on terror.”  Has anyone noticed the new French Revolution?  Then there is the pale horse.  This horse stands for pestilence.   

 Unlike the tsunami, which came suddenly, we can watch the flu creep across the globe on a colored map.   Migratory birds are the carrier pigeons.  Some say it will explode when it arrives in Africa.  During the Black Death of the middle ages, ignorance and superstition reigned.  Priests and exorcists added to the hysteria by preaching God’s judgment or practicing their own brand of witchcraft.  We are smarter today.  We know sickness comes from germs, not genies, right? 

 My advice about pandemics is don’t panic, but be prepared.  If Noah were alive today, he would be considered a “nut.”  He was not.  He was prepared.  The ark today is not Islam, the Roman Catholic Church, or the Republican Party.  None can save us from plagues or pandemics.  However, God can.   

 Every believer should be calm as a cucumber in the face of pandemics.  Why?  Because we have already been inoculated against the worst the world has ever known.  Sin is the worst pandemic.  All the Thera-flu and duct tape in the world will not save you from that.

Washing your hands won’t help either.  To be safe, God must wash your heart.  That is the message and the only hope of the world. Come to Christ.  The blood of Jesus Christ saves us from sin.  Faith may not keep me from getting the flu, but it saves me from the fear of getting the flu.  The Bible says that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Heavenly Father.  David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me.”  Once we have placed our faith and trust in the Good God of Grace, we will fear no evil, no matter how dangerous the place.  If you listen to the news, you have good reason to be frightened.  If you listen to the good news, there is nothing to fear- not even the flu.  Selah "Chew on that."       

                                                                                                              id