By Tope Banso
“We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend” (Psalm 39:6 New Living Translation).
The outbreak of COVID-19 is now widespread. An epidemic that occurred in the nation of China has spread to virtually all nations of the earth. It is not just that a large number of people have died, the nations of the earth are now at standstill. Nothing is going on anywhere.
Businesses have been shut down. Workers are either on forced leave or are working from home. Many are in self-isolation; others are in isolation centres. Anyone who has no major business being out in public is hiding in his house.
All the hustle and bustle of life in most places has given way to private prayers for survival and other measures to avoid infection. In nations where a high level of infection has been recorded, this is not the time for rushing up and down to make money. The only business of government at this time is how to contain the spread of the pandemic and provide medical care for those infected.
With the number of deaths rising and the spread of the disease overstretching health facilities and overwhelming healthcare professionals, it appears the priorities of human beings are being revised and reduced. The priorities are no longer foreign trips, holiday abroad, designers’ wears, cosmetic surgeries, football leagues, or some frivolities. These have been suspended. Arguably, the new priorities are God, life, health, family and sustenance!
All along man has missed his priorities, chasing the shadows. It is mostly in the time of adversities like the current pandemic that most human beings come to their right senses. They admit that they’ve been pursuing vanities. As the Preacher said, vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12:8).
This is not the first time humanity will be ravaged by pandemics, but each time the pandemic was over, man continued with his life, forgetting that life is a gift from God and his time on earth, no matter how long, is temporary. He is accountable to God ultimately. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 New King James Version).
We don’t pray that the current fatalities will increase to the figures recorded in some of the previous pandemics. We must intensify our prayers and do the needful to defeat COVID-19. Look at these major pandemics in the past with their high number of deaths: Antonine plague, 5 million (165-180); Japanese Smallpox epidemic, 1 million (735-737); Plague of Justinian, 30-50 million (541-542); Black death, 200 million (1347-1351); New world smallpox outbreak, 56 million (1520-onwards); Great plague of London, 100,000 (1665) and Italian plague, 1 million (1629-1631).
Other pandemics with high fatalities: cholera 1-6, 1 million+ (1817-1923); Third Plague, 12 million (China & India, 1885); Yellow fever, 100,000-150,000 (US, late 1800s); Russian Flu, 1 million (1889-1890); Spanish Flu, 40-50 million (1918-1919); Asian Flu, 1.1million (1957-1958) and Hong Kong Flu, 1 million (1968-1970).
It is estimated that from 1981-present, between 25 and 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS. From 2009-2010, Swine Flu recorded 200,000 deaths while SARS killed 770 (2002-2003), Ebola killed 11,000 people (2014-2016) and MERS killed 850 (2015-present) (www.visualcapitalist.com).
The number of people already killed by COVID-19, as I write, is over 70,000. If any of these pandemics had happened while Jesus Christ was on the earth and anyone had told him about it, Jesus could have said about the dead, “Do you suppose that these … were worse sinners than all other … because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-3 New King James Version). His reaction to the ongoing Coronavirus fatalities could have been the same.
Many people have been so busy that they don’t have time for God. They want to make as much money as possible. With their money, they believe they don’t need God. Only poor people need God to help them solve their problems! Money answers all things! This is a fallacy.
But with all the money such people have made, they wouldn’t have believed something would prevent them from flying out of their countries to their tourist destinations or for their business meetings. They wouldn’t have believed that they could be barred from travelling abroad for medical check-up or treatment. There’s a travel ban everywhere now. Everybody must stay in his country or wherever he is! Shame on money!
Psalm 39:6 says, “We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend” (New Living Translation). Before their very eyes, those who, in their busy rushing, have accumulated so much have seen the limitation of money. Is somebody learning anything?
Solomon said, “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 New Living Translation).
Many were chasing the wind before the outbreak of this pandemic. May be there are still some doing the same because the disease is not yet prevalent in their cities or countries. They could foolishly think, “It is their sickness, not ours.” But the world is a global village. They need to learn from those whose busy rushing has stopped because of this pandemic.
They need to learn from those who have died and left everything behind. Solomon continued, “Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 New King James Version).
Verses 21-23 say, “For though I do my work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, I must leave everything I gain to people who haven’t worked to earn it. This is not only foolish but highly unfair. So what do people get for all their hard work? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night they cannot rest. It is all utterly meaningless” (New Living Translation).
Where is all of humanity’s busy rushing? Many people have been forced to rest! There are no flights, no meetings, no parties, and so on. The popular vocabulary now is social distancing! Nobody wants to be infected. Nobody is happy about the fatalities from these pandemic, but some families could have noticed one blessing: it has brought their families together and closer; they spend time together and show love to each other. Everyone who should be at home is now at home!
Life is about people, not about things. Life is about relationships, not about accomplishments. It is about love, not about money-making.
Ecclesiastes 1:3 asks, “What do people get for all their hard work?” (New Living Translation). Ecclesiastes 3:9 asks a similar question: “What do people really get for all their hard work?” (New Living Translation). Without putting work in its proper perspective, all the busy rushing by human beings will end in nothing. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Meaningless!
While we continue to pray and work towards the end of this pandemic, may humanity learn the right lessons from this global lockdown. May we stop chasing shadows and put God first, family next and work last. We must stop all our busy rushing that ends in nothing. May we not pursue money at the expense of our relationship with God, our families and our loved ones, and God’s purpose for us on the earth.
If you’re not born again, repent of your sins today and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Whoever comes to Him, He will by no means cast out.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I repent of my busy rushing that neglects You and my family. Help me LORD not to pursue wrong priorities in life.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For over 260 in-depth and insightful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪ Banso, a pastor, heads Cedar Ministry International, Abuja; and can be reached at cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
Tel No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523; WhatsApp No: +2349081295947