Letter to the Editor

Did God send covid-19?

Some far right fundamentalist Christian pastors do claim that God sent this pestilence and blame various groups, LGBTQ people, Jews, apostate churches and the entire sinful world. Some more influential evangelical pastors like Robert Jeffress are a little more subtle but nonetheless connect this pandemic to God. Jeffress, "All natural disasters can ultimately be traced to sin." Franklin Graham doesn't think it is God's plan but, "It's because of the sin that's in the world. Man has turned his back on God." Other more moderate and liberal Christian leaders absolve God of any culpability in this pestilence or plague and say that sin has no connection to covid-19.

Some point to John 9:3 where Jesus explained that no one's sin caused a man to be born blind from birth, "...but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Notice that Jesus says there was a purpose for the man being born blind therefore, it must have been planned. According to God himself, blindness is not just a happenstance, "Who gives them (humans) sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Exodus 4:11. Also, "I create disaster." (evil KJV) Isaiah 45:7 "I create"= present tense. In Colossians 1:16 it is Jesus who created all things visible and invisible!

God planned everything before he created the world, (1 Peter 1:20, Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Corinthians 2:7 and Titus 1:2). God also controls everything to conform to his purpose. (Ephesians 1:11). God has sent pestilence on his chosen people numerous times and killed thousands, in Chapter 24 of 2 Samuel, God sent a pestilence on the people of Israel and killed 70,000 men for no good reason except that he was punishing a sin of David.

The Apostle Paul says that God makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11. In "The Purpose Driven Life" Pastor Rick Warren writes, "[God] planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, 'You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!'" (Psalm 139:16 TLB). So, God planned and scheduled the exact time and circumstances for each covid-19 victim's birth and death,

That is the biblical truth, so help me God!

Oren Piper

Siloam Springs

Editorial on 05/06/2020