The Coronavirus Panic as a Vehicle for State Manipulation
“The news just came in from the County of Keck, that a very small bug by the name of Van Vleck is yawning so wide you can look down his neck.” And so begins Dr. Seuss’ Sleep Book. A tale about the sweeping power of a yawn and its wonderful consequences.
As the panic over the Coronavirus ticks up, Seuss’s story serves as a cautionary tale for us. Not as a warning against yawning or sleeping and not even as an alert against the ability of a virus to travel great distances. No, Dr. Seuss touches on something deeper—the power of an idea to spread.
We are seeing a wholesale adoption of the idea that the Coronavirus is inevitable, even deadly. Panic has set in, sponsored in large part by local and state governments. The state of New York issued a state of emergency to last until September. Something sinister is at work here. Schools, churches, sporting events, and workplaces are closing over a possibility, not a probability. When did Americans become so feeble?
Such control does not bode well for our future. Will we sit back and allow the state to become this authoritarian? Will we give them the right to tell us what is dangerous for us, what is safe? If any government is allowed to taste this kind of control, they will never give it back. We are watching the birth of the “nanny state.” This is Orwellian.
A dangerous step has been taken toward societal manipulation. We must tread very carefully here if we are to survive; to survive not the virus, but the hypocritical panic of a government looking for more influence. Will people die from this contagion? Yes, but people die every day from the flu and other viral agents which garners no attention from the guardians of political correctness. We should treat this as we do all colds and flu, with common sense.
As this continues, churches too will be affected. Public pressure will be applied to close services by government mandates. Are you ready to see the county sheriff blocking the entrance to your church's parking lot? You might say, “That could never happen!” It just did. Kentucky’s governor asked that churches close their doors for one week to stem the outbreak. This is a problem. Why have churches been targeted? What are the repercussions for the small membership congregations that only survive Sunday-to-Sunday?
Christian, pray. Keep the doors of your assembly open. Preach the gospel. People will be looking for hope. This is another opportunity to share the mercy of God with a grieving public.
