UPDATE for USA as of November 25, 2020. More than 120 people every minute in the United States tested positive for COVID19 yesterday. 1.6 Americans died every minute yesterday from the virus.

Until the current COVID19 pandemic, the term super-spreader was not a common word in most of our lexicons. The word stirs-up emotions of fear, and frustration – especially among those who appreciate the seriousness of the virus.

Parties, celebrations, weddings, funerals, faith gatherings, games, rallies, and reunions all have the potential to be super-spreader events. Health heroes, who make themselves vulnerable in order to treat those who have tested positive, are understandably appalled when they see precautions recklessly thrown to the wind as people gather for whatever reason.

The term “corona” is a Latin term meaning crown.  Crown Covid19 thrives on people getting together shoulder to shoulder. You will never hear Crown Covid19 complaining about people failing to wear masks or not maintaining safe distancing. It reigns when such an attitude is prevalent.

Crown Covid19 raises its scepter with approval and a bit of glee when humans ignore guidelines and gather in unsafe ways. It smirks when religious people say they don’t have to use common-sense because their God will protect them in their selfish actions. It happily applauds the news of another super-spreader event where it will have easy access to its prey and can display its power and reign without hindrances.

Crown Covid19 Smiles Adoringly at Mockers

The Coronavirus rubs its hands with delight when it learns that some religious people and others have fallen for the lie that the virus is nothing more than a p[L]andemic, blown out of proportion for some deep state reason. The more people mock Crown Covid19 and engage in happy-talk saying ‘there’s nothing really to fear’, the more successfully it spreads and spikes.

But the facts don’t lie. Ask those who have survived the virus if it is real or not. Ask the tens of thousands of family members who lost their loved ones to the virus. Ask doctors whose Intensive Care Units are filling up even as we write this post. Ask tired and worried nurses who risk their own lives trying to save the lives of COVID victims. Ask the long-haulers – those who have recovered but are suffering long term effects. 

People belittle COVID19 and mock its severity and laugh at those who take it seriously until – yes, until Crown Covid19 knocks on their door and up-ends their lives and claims someone they love.

Spiritual Insights from the Bible

Here’s what you are about to read below:

• • • 1. Eden’s Super-Spreader Event
      2. Denying the Seriousness of Sin
      3. Attitude of Fairness towards the Mockers of COVID19
      4. God’s Attitude of Grace towards Sinners
      5. Grace Reigns

As we digest the news each day and see the numbers spike and shake our heads at super-spreader events where people knowingly flout public health precautions and guidelines and flaunt their so-called rights, a spiritual parallel found in the Bible jumps off the page.

The Bible records another super-spreader event – far more deadly and pervasive than Crown Covid. The Eden Super-spreader Event is a piece of human history known as the greatest catastrophe to ever slam into the human family.

Eden’s Super-spreader Event

This super-spreader event can be traced back to the first two people God created – Adam and Eve. We know who the spreaders were and even their location. The Bible does the contact-tracing for us. They were in a garden paradise in Eden – a perfect environment conducive to worshipping God and happy communion with Him.

Did Adam grasp the significance of the honour God had given him to be the head of the human family? Theologically, Adam is called the federal head of humankind with global dominion. Adam represented the entire human family of all ages. That was the role God gave him.

You can read about Adam’s rebellion against God in Genesis Chapter 3 – the one act of disobedience that has affected and infected the entire human family.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…. Romans 5:12 ESV

Did you notice the word in that verse? Spread!

Original sin was that one act of defiance against God in a perfect environment and what a spreader it was! Because of Adam’s designation as head of the human family – the one who represented all future progeny, we inherited a fallen sinful nature. Death (spiritual and physical) spread to all people.

Be clear about this, you cannot help that you inherited the inner inclination to sin, but you are responsible for continuing to choose a life of sin – when another life is freely available to you.

Denying the Seriousness of Sin

Like Covid19, many people want to deny the seriousness of sin and mockingly point fingers at those who are concerned about it. People try to live as if sin does not exist. Happy talk. They try to dismiss concerns of accountability to God and judgment for sin.

Satan himself actively dupes and deceives. Jesus called him the father of lies. (John 8:44) He wants you to believe that sin is a hoax and that the consequences of sin (death and eternal death) is a scare tactic by God to control you and to coerce you into His way of thinking. In fact, the Bible says Satan blinds the minds of non-believers. (2Corinthians 4:4)

But the reality is – sin continues to spread everywhere in the world. The evidence is indisputable. There is no sin-free bubble on Planet Earth. Every culture of every age has battled with sin. Every family has been affected. Every individual struggles with keeping the lid on their own sin and worry about their reputation being wrecked if the lid comes off in a weak moment.

Before we go any further – there is a sharp contrast in the parallel between the spread of COVID19 and the spread of sin and death.

Attitude of Fairness towards Mockers of COVID19

When it comes to COVID19, some are saying that those who flout public health guidelines, refuse to wear masks and recklessly congregate – these people should be the very last in line for medical care when the virus slams into their lives or their families.

After every person who took the recommended precautions is treated and no longer requires nurses, doctors, and therapists and medical equipment – after all these have been released from care – then the mockers and the laughers and the careless ones, can line-up at the very end for medical care, if – and only if they can pay for it out of their own pockets.

That maybe people’s sense of fairness and justice as humans.

God’s Attitude of Grace towards Sinners

But God responds to careless God-mockers and reckless disobedient sinners in a different way. Rather than shun them and consign them to a perpetual state of lostness and eternal separation from Himself, God reaches out to each one of us. We all know we could never deserve His warm embrace or qualify for Heaven. Thankfully, He actively reaches out to sinners in grace.

Ephesians Chapter 2 describes the willful path that sinners take in their rebellion against God. The Apostle Paul is writing to people who had been rendered helpless by the virus of sin and were in desperate need. These very people had already been rescued from the grip and control of sin and sin no longer reigned in their lives. So, Paul describes their past, present, and future. As you read these words – remember, God will do the same for you.

Ephesians Chapter 2

(1)  Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. (2)  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. (3)  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. (4)  But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, (5) that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

(6)  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (7)  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

(8)  God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (9)  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Grace Reigns Today

Today is God’s day of Grace. It is not a coincidence that you are reading this right now. God is reaching out to you, even through this post, seeking to draw you to Himself. He knows your past. He knows every one of your sins. He knows your attitude towards Him. He even knows what sin-potential you have for the future.

Despite everything God knows about you – He extends Himself to you, signaling that He will forgive you fully, and embrace you totally, and save you forever. And He can righteously do that because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His sin-atoning death on the cross.

Romans 5:19-21

For as by the one man’s disobedience [Adam] the many were made sinners [the super-spreader] so by the one man’s obedience [Jesus] the many will be made righteous … where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Will you respond to God’s grace right now and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour?

One Final Warning

Those who persist in mocking the Bible’s teaching on sin and its gravity and penalty and those who resist God’s grace and never repent and shun God’s loving free offer of eternal life will perish forever. John 3:36