Grace Lutheran Church
Baldwin, Michigan
Enough is Enough
As we begin another Fall, we had hoped that we could get back to normal and put the Corona virus behind us. Just when we thought we had it licked, it threw out another variant and staged a resurgence. We have not, yet, had to shut down public life here in Baldwin again and continue to hold in person worship, but even that seems quite possible, especially in the harder hit and more populous areas. Enough is Enough, but we aren’t in control and cannot always call the shots.
Part of the problem is that too many people are not taking reasonable precautions. There are some who, because of medical conditions, should not be vaccinated, but that is rare. Many more do not trust the vaccines available for various reasons. That distrust should lessen somewhat as the three vaccines in common use are beginning to receive full FDA approval, a more rigorous standard that the Emergency Use Authorization that they were being administered under up till now.
It is true that there have been some adverse reactions, even deaths associated with the vaccines. Everything in life has risks associated with them. Statistically speaking on of the riskiest places associated with more accidents that people can go is to the bathroom. But the consequences of never going there are worse. We try to alleviate as much risk as possible and make things as safe as we can, but bad things do happen.
With the current vaccines being administered, we need to balance the risks. While there is a small risk associated with taking the vaccine, a much greater risk is associated with not being vaccinated. The evidence shows that people are much, much less likely to catch Covid-19 if one is vaccinated, and if one catches the virus, the illness is much more likely to be mild, usually not even needing hospitalization. Deaths among the vaccinated from the virus are almost unheard of. So, statistically speaking, when one compares the rate of bad results of being vaccinated versus the rate bad results of not being vaccinated (a much greater chance of contracting Covid-19, becoming seriously ill, and possibly dying from it) most people are much safer being vaccinated.
We also need to consider the results to the community. Areas with lower vaccination rates are seeing many more Corona virus cases that in some areas are straining our hospitals and medical people as they try to treat people. The numbers of Covid cases are also making it harder for all other medical needs to be cared for. People with heart attacks, needing treatment for accidents, strokes, other illnesses can end up waiting longer for care, and receiving less care. The more people are vaccinated the fewer need treatment for Covid. Vaccination helps not just individuals but the community.
But aren’t we suppose to trust God to take care of us? Yes and God takes care of us in many ways. The tells us of many miracles that God performed to care for His people. Throughout history miracles of God’s care have been reported. But what is not always recognized is that throughout the Bible, we also see God providing for people through quite ordinary means. In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, we are told of a time that Jesus did a large miracle, feeding more than 5,000 people with a boy’s lunch, 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. An amazing miracle, but did you every stop to think that God not only feed so many people from so little through Jesus, but God also provided the boys lunch, although that was likely done through more ordinary means. A farmer grew and harvested the barley that others then milled and someone else, probably the boy’s mother, baked into the bread. Meanwhile God grew the fish that a fisherman caught that ended up in the lunch and then feeding thousands. Jesus was in a hurry and took a shortcut. But God provided it all.
God has given us people, doctors, nurses, researches, lab techs, and put into nature the potential for vaccines and treatments for disease. It does not need to be a miracle to be from God. I thank God for the miracle of the vaccines that can reduce the effect of this Corona virus and other diseases and make them more manageable. And I have already made use of what God has provided.