truth will set you free
26 - 05/20 /16:08
“If Liberty University reopens, people will die,” predicted emergency room doctor Max Cooper of Crozer-Chester Medical Center.
So began the condemnation when Liberty U. re-opened their campus at the beginning of our national lock-down. Blaming religious hubris, The Financial Times of London reported “twelve students promptly came down with coronavirus.” This news was repeated by dozens of media outlets. Nobel Laureate (economics) Paul Krugman informed NYTimes readers that Liberty, “seems to have created (their) own personal viral hot spot.” A Washington Post headline story reported how “an authoritarian power structure brought coronavirus to Liberty University.”
Liberty’s academic year has ended. How many students died? Zero.
So began the condemnation when Liberty U. re-opened their campus at the beginning of our national lock-down. Blaming religious hubris, The Financial Times of London reported “twelve students promptly came down with coronavirus.” This news was repeated by dozens of media outlets. Nobel Laureate (economics) Paul Krugman informed NYTimes readers that Liberty, “seems to have created (their) own personal viral hot spot.” A Washington Post headline story reported how “an authoritarian power structure brought coronavirus to Liberty University.”
Liberty’s academic year has ended. How many students died? Zero.
Only one student tested positive for Covid-19—a graduate student taking courses online who hadn’t stepped on campus before or after spring break. Four employees working off-campus also tested positive, but no infections were traced back to campus. None were hospitalized.
Florida was pilloried for opening “too soon”. Today Politico admits that Florida governor “DeSantis looks more right than those who criticized the Sunshine State’s coronavirus response.” The article reports that the predicted “post-apocalyptic hellscape of infection and cadavers stacked like cordwood” hasn’t materialized.
Experts condemned Sweden for trusting their citizens to voluntarily social distance. An April 15 study out of Uppsala University forecast their policy would produce 74,000 deaths by July 1. As of May 25 about 4,000 have died. Foreign Affairs opines that Sweden’s coronavirus strategy will soon go global, because herd immunity is the only realistic path forward.
Memorial Day New York Gov Cuomo said, “People can speculate, people can guess. I’m out of that business, because we all failed at that business. All the early national experts, they were all wrong. They were all wrong.”
A profanity-laced YouTube by Bill Maher condemned “panic porn”. Doctor of psychology Karolyn Borysenko wondered, “Why do people assume if they go outside without a mask, they’ll get the virus? Why do they assume that if they do get the virus, it’s a death sentence? Why do they assume that anyone who isn’t living in fear isn’t taking common sense precautions?”
Jesus commanded His followers, “Do not be afraid, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.” He did not suggest you not be afraid, He commanded it. Jesus promised peace, but often we leave little room for His presence.
To be free of fear, tune-in less to the world and more to the Lord. Read the Bible—meditate on what you read. Make time to pray. Fellowship (deeper than socializing) with others. Be on the lookout for what God the Holy Spirit is doing. Have courage. Be kind. Receive God’s peace. ~
Blessings,
Dan Nygaard