All over the world people are confronted with how to respond to a seemingly long list of current plagues. And now, add the Zika virus, which the World Health Organization is calling “a public health emergency of international concern,” causing distress to pregnant women all over the world.
When confronted with world problems that need compassionate prayer, I always turn to God and shift my thinking away from what seems to be wrong to what I know to be spiritually right in order to find a way to help.
In this case, I am finding it helpful to turn to the 91st Psalm, which begins “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and fortress: my God, in Him will I trust.”
The idea of God’s children abiding under the protective power of the Most High -- defended in a place invisible and inaccessible to evil or harm -- can calm our fears about any public health emergency. Also, in Psalm 94, God is described as our defense against any evil that would “condemn the innocent blood.”
But, there’s more to this promise. By holding to the concept of the defending and protecting nature of God, good, and to good being infinite and always present, we begin to see that this infinite good must include everyone’s health and is completely independent of geographic locale or world conditions.
As I was pondering the news of this virus, and thinking of a pregnant friend who had fearfully cancelled upcoming vacation plans out of the country, I was reminded of a favorite Sunday School jingle, “there is no spot where God is not.”
I considered: is God absent from one part of the world and present in another? Are we safer in Tennessee than Colombia, or safer in London than in South Africa?
In that same 91st Psalm, we are assured that “he shall deliver thee….from the noisome pestilence” and “thou shalt not be afraid.” God is everywhere, loving His creation. And being aware of His presence can make us immune to all kinds of ills.
God doesn’t leave one part of the world plagued and unprotected while he focuses on another continent. Mary Baker Eddy, a 19th century religious reformer and author, was well acquainted with the power of God to address the plagues in her time. She saw God as universal Love, and wrote that His calming reassuring voice “reaches over continent and ocean to the globe’s remotest bound.”
That message of Love says to all who are exposed or fearful, God is keeping us safe everywhere – even “to the globe’s remotest bound.”
A few years ago, my friend went on a business trip to Asia. He began experiencing symptoms of the Avian Flu (Bird Flu) and became quite ill and fearful. He called a Christian Science practitioner for prayer. Among the things they discussed was the fact that there was no spot on the globe where God, infinite good, was not present. When he returned to the States, he related in a church service where congregants speak of spiritual healing -- that he had experienced an almost immediate healing from this flu. He mentioned that the prayer was so quickly effective because he was convinced he had the best help in the world -- that God was his refuge and help, keeping him well and safe no matter where he was. In the words of the Psalmist: “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” It didn’t matter where his dwelling was -- in Asia or in the United States – God’s presence to heal and protect could not be absent.
So, in the midst of reports of the Zika virus and contagion, let’s turn to God as our refuge – knowing that prayer helps all mankind. Let’s allow divine peace and calm to replace fears and alarm by reasoning that God is infinite good. Whether you are walking to the grocery store or flying to another continent, the Divine and its loving, protecting power cannot be absent from any geographic location.
Debra Chew writes about the connection between thought, spirituality and wellness from a Christian Science perspective. She has been published in Knoxville News Sentinel, Chattanoogan.com, UK Health Triangle Magazine, Jackson Sun Health Magazine, and in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She is the media and legislative liaison for Christian Science in Tn.