My journey this week during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic reminds me of other times when scourges brought fear and anxiety to our lives. Examples like the polio epidemic which, before the creation of the 1954 vaccine, brought fear to every mother with small children. In Vietnam, besides fear of being maimed by the enemy, the spread of malaria transmitted by anopheles mosquitos created great anxiety because nobody knew who would be next to become ill. Out of the 200 soldiers I served with, 38 men and five officers contracted malaria — I was the only officer who did not get sick.
But my best example comes from when I was pastoring 30 years ago in Winters, Texas, and HIV-AIDS raised its head along with rumors and misinformation. Two women in my church, taught me how to be a Christian as stated in the Bible.
“For God does not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” II Timothy 1:7
