There is a menace running amuck, and it is called H1N1, or "The Swine Flu." This supposedly new strand of influenza was discovered this past year, and has set-off panic in much of our country. As of October 10, 2009, H1N1 has spread to 46 states and caused 292 deaths.
"The flu," is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. There are many different strands of it, with H1N1 being the most famous right now. A few years ago, Avian Influenza, or "the Bird Flu," was the trendy fear, now, "the Swine Flu," has taken its place.
I don't want to be insensitive to those who have contracted the flu, or even died from it. It is a very serious illness, especially for children, the elderly, and anyone with an existing disease or disability. I've only had the flu once in my life, when I was 17, and it was horrible! I missed an entire week of school, and literally stayed in bed, quarantined from family, for three days. It was the sickest I had ever been in my life and hope to never have it again!
However, something this morning set me off to this "Swine Flu Pandemic" panic. On my Yahoo home page, there was a featured video about H1N1, from a local New York City televion station. I don't know the technical jargon for news production, but when the story segue from the previous story to the feature on the flu, a dark graphic with dramatic music, and a grim-faced and solemn speaking anchorperson appeared, telling us that they were "tracking the H1N1 virus." "Tracking," really? Were they going to individual homes and documenting who had been infected with the virus? Did they send out teams of reporters, hoping to film footage of the virus morphing itself into a giant, uber germ intent on attacking Manhattan, like Godzilla?
The age we live in seems to be one in which people are immobilized by their fears. I don't mean a healthy fear of things that can truly harm us, but fear of the normal things in life, like the flu! Guess what, the flu comes every year. People get it, and sometimes, a few people die from it. However, people also get the mumps, chickenpocks, and measels and sometimes die from them as well.
H1N1 can cause serious illness and disruption into people's lives, and should be taken seriously. There are signs to watch for, vaccinations to receive, and preventative measures to take to attempt avoiding it. However, it is not the end of the world. It is the flu and more than likely, you will not die from it, even though it may feel like it.
We live in a world crippled by fear. I think one of the reasons for this is most people are not accepting of the way things are in this world. The fact is, people get sick and die. Economies rise, and fall. Fortunes are earned, and lost. While we should strive for a world that is healthy, fair, and equitable, we need to understand that this world will never be perfect; it will never be free of disease, sickness, accidents, and failure. However, we can be free from the captivity of fear, and live our lives with peace and contentment, no matter what difficulties occur.
Psalm 27:1 says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" What do you fear the most? Is it H1N1, losing your job, global warming, death? Whatever is causing you to be held captive by fear, I want you to ask yourself, "what is the 'stronghold' of my life?" If you are terrified of financial ruin, then money is what you value. If you stay awake at night, tormented with thoughts of environmental chaos, then this world is what you love the most. If God does not enter your thoughts at any time during your difficulties, then you will know that God is not real to you and does not have control of your life.
God has created us to desire more than the things of this world. I think one of the reasons God allows sickness, personal problems, and difficulties, is that God wants us to realize that all this world offers is temporary. It has no lasting value, and is only used to give us a glimpse of the eternal.
I hope you don't get the flu this year or ever. I hope that you can live your life in health, wealth, and comfort, but you know as well as I do, that difficulties are always around the corner. Whether it is H1N1, cancer, marital problems, or unemployment, it will be something, and in that moment of difficulty, you will truly know what and who is the stronghold of your life.
In the meantime, try to stay away from the flu. For more information about Influenza, check out these sites:
http://www.flufacts.com/
www.CDC.gov/swineflu
