On the beach? Redux?

"This was the day, this Palm Sunday, which was to become the start of Holy Week. The week of the passion, which would change everything, for everyone, for ever more."

I don't know if I ever mentioned this before. One of my favorite novels is a very good one from yesteryear. I must have read it a half dozen times (rare for me). It was penned by an English author, and was about a post apocalyptic world. The novel is On the Beach. A classic in the eyes of many. The author is Nevil Shute. Although a different scenario than what we are going through right now, with a much different outcome, I cannot help thinking about some of the similarities.

In the novel (for those who have not read it), the northern hemisphere has been decimated by a nuclear war. Everything north of the border was poisoned, and everything living was either dead or dying. For those south of the equator, life was just fine for now. People were alive, going through with their daily routines. The only fly in the ointment, was this giant radioactive cloud of poison, slowly heading south. Soon it would cover the entire globe, and nothing would survive. 

I will not go into any more of the details. Let me just say, an American sub with a Australian officer aboard, survived the holocaust up north, are trying to get to Melbourne, Australia before the cloud hits. The Australian officer wanted to be with his wife and daughter during those final days. But that is where most similarities end with what we are going through. The one similarity which remains however is this - the approaching cloud. Not a radioactive cloud in our case, but COVID - 19 infested "cloud".

According to the experts, this is the week when the dreaded "spike" begins. The hot spots we have are now hotter, and new ones have sprung up overnight. Since immunity to this new virus is in short supply, the medical professionals are begging us to adhere to the current warnings. We need to take them very seriously. Deadly serious. Plus - there is a new warning out as of today. And this one really got my attention. Stay out of grocery stores. Have your food delivered, or have someone younger buy them for you. Even with precautions, we need to stay out of grocery stores.

It is ironic that this warning should come on Palm Sunday. The day in history where people had hope they would be saved by this man riding into town on a donkey. This was the day which was to become the start of Holy Week. The week of the passion, which would change everything, for everyone, for ever more.

For those in the faith, this is a good time to use it. For those who might have strayed from their faith, this would be a good time to reclaim it. For those who were never in the faith, this would be an excellent time to discover it. It is never too late. 

God is good, all the time. He is always in control. He is in control right now. He knew this was coming, He knows how this will play out, and He knows how it will end. We need to trust in Him. And we need to bathe everything in prayer. We need to pray for our country, our world, our fellow citizens, our doctors and nurses on the front line, our first responders, and our families. We will get through this. With the help of God, and His almighty grace, we will endure.