“The mass of humanity live lives of quiet desperation.” —Thoreau
In the mid-1800s a Cholera pandemic broke out worldwide. In 1854 it hit London and 127 people died in three days. Three-fourths of the residents fled the city.
By the end of the outbreak, 616 people died. The mortality rate was 12.8%. Two prior outbreaks took the lives of 14,137 people.
If you were an influential pastor such as Charles Spurgeon, besides honoring the governing and medical authorities’ recommendations, what would you tell your people?
“It is much to be feared that a constant run of prosperity, perpetual peace and freedom from disease may breed in our minds just what it has done in all human minds before, namely security, pride, hedonism and forgetfulness of God. It is a most solemn fact that human nature can scarcely bear a long continuance of peace and health. It is almost necessary that we should be salted with affliction every now and then lest we putrefy with sin.”
“May God grant that we have neither famine nor sword but since we have this pestilence in a very slight degree, it becomes us to ask the Lord to bless it to the people so each tenderness of conscience may be apparent throughout the multitude and they may recognize the hand of God. Already I’ve been told by Christian brethren laboring in the east of London there is a greater willingness to listen to gospel truth.”
What Would Jesus Do?
We are smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic. People are fearful, anxious, worried, scared and extremely open to hearing those who bring truth, hope and encouragement in a compassionate and skillful way. Once again, there is a “greater willingness to listen to gospel truth.”