Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)
I am reading a book by Erik Larson titled The Splendid and the Vile. I love history, and I read just about any book about Winston Churchill. This book covers both bases for me. One of the facts that struck me was the response of Londoners during the horrible bombing we have come to know as “the Blitz”. During those awful days early in World War II, in summer and fall of 1940, London was being bombed daily. The physical and emotional toll was dreadful, yet Churchill managed to provide strong, courageous leadership to all of England, and London in particular.
One passage of the book discusses the frustration of people who were being bombed, and their feeling of helplessness to fight back. Indeed, the RAF was heroic and even successful in turning back the Luftwaffe, but all wondered how long this small air force could continue to stand against the might of Germany.
Churchill heard people questioning, after another terrible raid on London, why the anti-aircraft guns were mostly silent. Churchill knew that the efficiency of those ant-aircraft guns was miserable. It was estimated that it took 6000 rounds of fire to score one hit on a German aircraft. The air ministry had decided to save ammunition for an anticipated invasion of England, and they did not deploy the guns in every German raid. But people questioned Churchill about fighting back. They could endure the attacks- their courage and tenacity still strikes me as amazing- however, they could not stand those attacks unless they felt that England was fighting back.
Churchill realized this, and he ordered that the anti-aircraft guns once again blaze away during those attacks on London. People took heart in hearing those guns. The pounding shocks of the firing and the dazzling bursts of fire they put into the sky gave people hope- they were fighting back.
So I began to think about our own response to the invisible enemy COVID-19. We can’t simply endure. We must feel active in our fight against it. In my opinion, it is a matter of thinking about it differently. For example, every time I wash my hands, I am potentially killing a virus. Every time I wear a mask, I reduce chances of the virus spreading. You know how viruses are extinguished? When they have no place to propagate. Every time I wipe down a surface with a disinfectant, I am taking away another breeding ground for the virus.
Of course there are many things people do to fight the virus. We serve and support the front-line fighters, we help those who have been infected, etc. The point is, we are in the fight, we are not just enduring it.
Prayer: Lord, help us to change our mind about things in this life that make us feel powerless. Give us the renewed mind to push ahead, even when we cannot see the enemy, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 