March 26, 2020

“Chaos Happens”

In my last statement on the Covid-19 viral outbreak, I was more hopeful calling it “a little plague.” I no longer think that is an appropriate term. Perhaps better simply to say “Pandemic.” Watching physicians and nurses don garbage bags because they have no remaining gowns as Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) makes me realize our problems, particularly in New York City, the current epicenter of the virus in the United States, are very severe and growing worse by the day. This is despite exceptional leadership and work by New York State’s governor, the honorable Mario Cuomo.

So far, South Carolina, has been spared the worse of the outbreak, but according to our state officials speaking from Governor McMaster’s office this afternoon, we are set to expect more than 8000 positive Covid-19 cases by late April.   The plan of our president to have everyone back to work by Easter (April 12) and all worshipping together in churches is ludicrous at best and dangerous at worse. The real advice not to ignore is simple: “Shelter in place and do not spread this viral disease to others.” It appears that both symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers are playing a huge role in spreading this virus, and so in some respects everyone is infected, although, in reality, only some are infected. But without testing of the general populous, who can truly say where the infected lie? We have experienced the tip of the iceberg and apparently our deep water ship is about to hit the whole thing. Will we sink and drown; or will we survive to tell the story on another day? Only God knows, only God knows!

After watching our young people and college students cavorting on the beaches of Florida for Spring Break, and seeing people from New York City fleeing to Florida and for the wealthy to their second homes outside the city, we realize this outbreak is only just beginning of the troubles. Some have hoped that warm weather will stop this virus from spreading, but this is not a seasonal illness, since no one except those who have recovered have any immunity to this disease. There is no “herd immunity.” Just look at Italy and Spain with hundreds of deaths daily as a terrible example.

Tomorrow is the last day we will be able to see patients in our primary care office. Except for two designated family practice groups, who will remain open for patients, all other primary care offices in our system are closing, to protect our personnel and health care workers. We may eventually all be called to man the front lines of the hospital setting, should others already there become seriously ill. In one week, we have been instructed how to use telemedicine and by Monday, we will be greeting patients either on the phone or virtually on our IPads using MyChart. CMS and Medicare are waiving strict HIPAA rules to allow the use of Telemed in this most serious crisis. Thank God, we have a way to care for our patients, without our placing them in jeopardy by mixing together the well and the ill in the same office.   Just one Covid-19 + patient, even an asymptomatic one can shut an entire office and take out a team of dedicated medical workers. It is a wise move, a strategic move, an example of the new reality we have entered into over the past two weeks, where normalcy is not normal anymore!

Where is the good news in all this chaos? The good news is that the human spirit as energized by the loving Spirit of the most High God is going to bring us through the madness and the chaos of this pandemic disease!. One day we will look back and be grateful for what we have learned about ourselves and about one another. In that day, we will remember who provided true leadership across our land and who did not, owing to their overweening selfishness and pride.   In the utilitarian universe of ‘the haves’, to sacrifice a number of ‘the have nots’ in order to save the economy is considered a reasonable sacrifice. But who wants to volunteer to be that sacrificial lamb offered on the national altar of expediency!? As my son Ben so eloquently said tonight at the evening meal: “Who wants to volunteer to die?”   The virus may take many of us into eternity, but hopefully dear God it will not be for the purpose of trying to save the economy so the wealthy elite can have four more years of bigotry and tribalism! If we die, let us do so for the greater good of sacrificing our lives to save the lives of our fellow human beings! Not one human life is worth dying in order save a large bank or a small business! Not one human life should be sacrificed to save ‘the sorry ass’ of a President or a congressman! Our countrymen and women have died often in the defense of our liberties and our democracy, but never to save a golf resort from bankruptcy because no one came, since the physicians and the scientists instructed everyone to shelter in their homes and not come outside to prevent the spread of a deadly virus! Let us at least get our priorities in order! The desire for filthy lucre has become ‘the root of all kinds of evil’ in this situation!

It is the kindness of friends and strangers which will finally save us. When we overcome our fear of this invisible virus and finally return to normal human concourse, fellowship and companionship, when our “herd immunity” has finally overcome this demon which is tearing apart the fabric of our society, then, perhaps then, we can remember what friendship is like. Perhaps then, perhaps, we will remember that selfishness kills others and those who are most selfish kill the most people. Perhaps, yes, perhaps then our values will undergo a transformation into something more akin to our true humanity. Perhaps, yes, perhaps, we may find ourselves having been born again into eternal life!

Prayer: “ O blessed and most holy God, our generous and kind Father, who sent your Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us all: We are reminded of your prophetic verses which described Him and his sacrifice of love for us in Isaiah 53: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…The chastisement for our peace is upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed!” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Hear our prayers, O blessed Lord, God our Savior, our Healer and the True Friend of us all! Amen.”

Let all of God’s people say, “Amen!”

“Amen! We praise you, Lord Jesus Christ!’

Bill Wilson, servant of God by God’s grace and mercies. “Amen.”