By: Donald V. Watkins
Copyrighted and Published on April 3, 2020
The White House now estimates that a minimum of 100,000 to 240,000 Americans will die from the COVID-19 pandemic. Other more credible pandemic models place the realistic number of deaths closer to one million in the United States from the COVID-19 crisis that is happening now and the second wave of the coronavirus that is expected in the Fall. Whether we view the estimates from a scientific or religious standpoint, these numbers are staggering.
Medical experts revealed for the first time Thursday that the coronavirus is spreading when infected individuals cough, sneeze, talk, and breathe around other people. The virus is emitted on invisible respiratory droplets that are airborne for hours. The 6 feet distancing recommended for containing the spread of the deadly virus is clearly not adequate.
Frontline doctors who are battling the coronavirus suggest that all Americans wear facemasks in public and inside enclosed areas at all times. Social distancing is the only containment strategy we have to mitigate the spread of the virus. There is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and there is no cure for infected individuals.
COVID-19 is a Plague Upon the Lands
I have written two recent articles in which I expressed my views about what is happening to America (and the rest of the world) with the COVID-19 crisis, and why. While brave emergency room and intensive care unit doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals are doing everything they can to battle the coronavirus on the front lines and save the lives of crashing COVID-19 patients, this plague will end in America only when God sees that we have fundamentally changed our wicked ways toward the "least of these."
Religious leaders used to advocate for this change. In recent decades, however, they have become complicit in society's shabby treatment of the "least of these." For example, the Catholic Church has failed to protect millions of innocent young children from clergy sex abuse during the modern era. When faced with recent evidence of this sex abuse, Pope Francis failed to aggressively eradicate it. America's Amish communities share this failure, as well. Amish girls are raped and abused by their relatives and religious leaders.
Also, many Evangelical Christian leaders in Southern states have politicized the Bible's teachings and have aligned themselves with unspeakable acts of evil by popular local, state, and federal politicians. Additionally, non-denominational ministries have become flamboyant street hustles in the name of the Lord. Finally, the Ayatollahs in Iran have given aid and comfort to terrorists who kill and injure innocent people in the name of Allah. The list of mistreatment of the "least of these" is endless.
Government Action Devoid of God
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, many of America's national leaders and some of its state officials still fail to understand the nature and scope of what is happening to us, and why. They believe the United States can economically stimulate its way out of this public health crisis by taking care of Wall Street's mega-corporations. They also believe our world-class doctors and biomedical researchers will develop a vaccine for the coronavirus and a cure for the infectious disease it spreads. They see these two measures -- and not intervention by God -- as the answer to the meltdown America is experiencing.
The daily White House briefings never acknowledge the role God is playing in the COVID-19 pandemic, and no Coronavirus Task Force member has ever publicly asked God to lift this plague from America (and the rest of the world) during the briefings. In fact, a discussion of America's relationship with God is completely absent in these briefings. Instead, all of the participants use the briefings as an opportunity to heap praise upon President Donald Trump.
Proverbs 1: 23-33 describes how God gave us the ability to obtain knowledge and wisdom through our relationship with him. He shared his heart and words with us. Yet, many Americans and citizens of the world reject his unconditional love and advice on how we should treat mankind. Instead of respecting humanity and practicing humility, we embraced men/women with substantial wealth, power, notoriety, and influence and raised them up as our "Idols" and Gods.
The Lord warned us in Proverbs that when destruction comes upon us as a whirlwind, when calamity overtakes us like a storm, when anguish and distress overwhelm us, and when we cry for his help, God will not answer us. We must then eat the bitter fruit of living our own wicked ways and choke on our own devilish schemes. All of those who listen to God will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.
As a nation, America has continued the very conduct that brought the COVID-19 plague upon us. Just this week, the Trump administration announced that laid off workers who want to enroll in Obamacare to obtain health insurance cannot do so. These innocent workers are being put at-risk for catastrophic medical bills during a pandemic simply because Trump hates Barack Obama and he wants to dismantle Obama's signature achievement as president. As a result, these innocent workers and their families will enter the world of the uninsured during the worst public health crisis the world has faced. Millions of Americans will become infected with the coronavirus and get sick. The ones who get sick and who have no health insurance will die in our "for-profit" medical system.
Furthermore, the United States still holds young children who have not been reunited with their migrant parents. This parental separation policy is part of America's get tough policy on illegal immigration of migrants of color from South America. This policy was the brainchild of heartless Trump adviser Steven Miller, who will likely suffer God's wrath during this plague.
We are still ignoring the needs of the homeless, the poor, sexually abused women and children, the mentally ill, and the sick and hungry in the richest country on the globe. This systemic neglect of the "least of these" reflects the sad fact that we elevate our love for money over God's love for humanity. The virus will force millions of Americans who despise the "least of these" to live among them and experience the misery of their daily lives.
When Will This Plague End?
The COVID-19 plague will not leave us until America changes its shabby treatment of the "least of these." In fact, the wrath of God will only get worse as we continue to ignore his words.
Among the hundreds of thousands of Americans who will die from the plague will be those who are purveyors of evil in the name of good. They are the modern-day equivalent to the Biblical "Pharaohs." These Pharaohs, and their family members, will be touched by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well. These individuals know who they are and they know what evil they have gratuitously inflicted upon innocent men, women, and children in the name of "making America great again." Their money, fancy sounding titles, government platforms, and power will not matter to God. He will humble all of them.
The more America ignores and rebukes God's teachings, the harder God's wrath will be. In the end, God will humble mankind; God's will shall prevail; it always does.
Sadly, the weeping in America has just begun. We will see rivers of tears. However, we brought this calamity upon ourselves.
