Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation 6th Edition.
Beloved family,
Yesterday was a sweet and sour day. We got the wonderful news that patient number two had become the first person to fight COVID – 19 and win. Before we could savour the good news, on its heels came the report that another patient had lost the battle and died. As we contemplate the implications of these reports that seem to give hope with one hand and snatch it with the other, let us turn to Psalm 121.
Today, we look at verse 6. The first part says, “The sun shall not strike you by day.” Most of us Africans do not appreciate the terror that the hot sun can be, we only think of the discomfort of sweating profusely – and stinking, afterwards. But people of delicate, fair skin know what torture a sunburn can be. They spend a fortune on sunscreen lotion and while hats are little more than fashion statements for dark-skinned people, they are real and necessary protection, for the fair skin. God promises protection against the threat of the sun. That is not to the exclusion of the precautions one should take, but one can only do so much. We cannot eliminate the vulnerability. That’s where our trust in God makes all the difference. He promises protection from the vagaries of the hot sun.
The second part says, The moon [shall not strike you] by night. This is an obvious use of Hebrew parallelism. In this case, the moon, which is not unwelcome at night, is used as a parallel to the sun. It also to show that whatever dangers may lurk in the night, God has seen to them. In other words, God covers our bumper to bumper, 24/7.
My dear family, we must adhere to the instructions given by our ministry of health, to protect ourselves and our families from the danger of infection. From tonight, don’t be found outside your house, unless you are in the gazetted exclusions, as a provider of essential services. Don’t go anywhere, even during the day, unless you have to – some of us still have to work, and we have to buy food and survival necessities. Wash hands, “touch nothing unclean,” stay at least two metres from other people, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue into the dustbin, or cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow, wash hands, disinfect your phone, door handles, frequently touched surfaces – in other words, do everything you can, and then some more. But you can only do so much.
You cannot eliminate the vulnerability. But don’t fear it. God is our ultimate cover, and it’s bumper to bumper, 24/7.
Your loving Pastor Chris.