“I hope there’s good news,” my neighbor said, as I retrieved the newspaper from my driveway.
There wasn’t, though, since the headlines proclaimed the latest toll from the monster called coronavirus, which is creeping around the globe.
Since it’s an unknown illness, it has sparked considerable anxiety, which is completely understandable.
So how do we prepare? Do we stockpile canned goods and hand sanitizer? They’ll help if we’re stuck at home for a few weeks, but they won’t remove the underlying problem — which for many people is fear of death.
No matter what our political affiliation, nationality, age or religion, we all acknowledge that we’re not going to live forever on earth.
For some folks, this is a terrifying prospect, because they see death as the total annihilation of their identity.
But those who believe in the immortality of the soul needn’t be paralyzed by fear of dying, since the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven is through the doorway of death.
And when it comes to impending disasters, we can take steps to prepare ourselves spiritually.
First, let’s take stock of our lives and see what needs fixing. If we’re still nursing a grudge over something Aunt Emma said at our birthday party five years ago, it’s time to forgive her.
When it comes to forgiveness, the Bible doesn’t mince words, saying those who refuse forgiveness will not be forgiven by God. It’s as simple as that, and yet as difficult too.
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean becoming best friends, so you needn’t go on vacation with a cruel ex-boss— just forgive her.
Think about the Amish community that lost five children to an evil gunman, yet immediately extended forgiveness to him, and even offered hospitality to his shattered mother.
Second, we can take a good, hard look at our lives and envision our spiritual legacy.
In preparing an ordinary will, we have to sit down and list material assets — house, car, jewelry, savings.
As we confront the inevitable event in our future — death — we might also take stock of our spiritual treasures.
How will we be remembered? Did we follow the Ten Commandments? Did we put our faith into practice by helping the poor, the dying and the imprisoned?
What might the priest or rabbi say at our funeral? Will he stumble around for words, since we hardly ever showed up for worship services and he barely knew us?
Or will he speak glowingly of our efforts to live a decent life, by serving the congregation and the greater community?
I’ve never attended a funeral where the clergy person mentioned the deceased person’s bank balance. The old saying that there are no pockets in shrouds speaks volumes about the futility of amassing a fortune.
Finally, prayer is essential when we’re facing a potential tragedy. There’s another saying that the person who’s too busy to pray, should pray the most.
I’ll admit that I struggle with prayer time, since I’m constantly checking items off my to-do list.
To counteract this tendency, I sometimes get up extra early to read scripture and pray. At night, I turn off the streaming video service ten minutes before bedtime and repeat the process.
Let’s pray the medical experts will find a way to defang the coronavirus monster. And pray that, when it comes to our own inevitable death, we realize it’s entirely in God’s hands.
Getting our spiritual house in order stems the tide of fear about disasters. After all, death itself is not a tragedy — unless we are unprepared to meet God.
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