NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS

Chris ready for his walk. Photo by Bobbi.

 My great grandmother, Janet or Jeannette, died in 1918.  I thought she may have contracted the 1918 Spanish flu.  Jennifer, my niece, found a death certificate for her.  She died of pneumonia.  I wondered if my grandmother had written a diary then.  I would like to know what she thought about that difficult time.  

My great uncle Ross also died in 1918.  He died of pneumonia with influenza with a contributing factor of symptoms of tuberculosis. Because of similar deaths and the conflicts we are going through in our present day, I decided to write a blog giving a few details about 2020.  Future generations may be interested.

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In 1918 the world was fighting World War I.  Suddenly a pandemic set in.  The war was ended as there were so many deaths there were not enough soldiers to fight. The Spanish flu was a blessing and a curse.

Now in 2020 we are in a double whammy difficult time again.  We have the coronavirus sweeping the world.  Because of this we are required to wear masks and to social distance.  Businesses are closed.  The economy is failing.  Unemployment has sky rocketed.  No one is able to have a salon haircut or a restaurant meal. 

To add to the chaos the peaceful protesters against racism have been replaced by anarchists.  They have turned their wrath loose on society.  There is rioting and looting.  Cities have been burned down.  Historical statues and monuments are defaced and torn down. Police and citizens are injured and killed. A six block area in downtown Seattle has been seized and turned in to a no police zone.  Explosions and gunshots are heard day and night.  Business owners are kicked out.  The mayor and city council are ineffective.  Many are crying out to God in prayer for help.

It looks like all is lost.  What does it all mean?  Do we know what is true? I believe the only place to look for answers is into God's word.

II Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. 

Then after all of this when Jesus comes back -- Hebrews 9:28 So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

The times do not look hopeful now but in a little while Jesus will be here to set things right.

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

In Sunday school I learned this song: 

"Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world."

This is what my parents believed.  I did too.  We were never confronted with racism until we moved to Virginia when I was in 4th grade in 1952.  

I noticed some old city buses parked on a lot across the street from our house.  It looked like people were living in the buses.  (My brother Jay thought the life style great. He always wanted to be "self contained," and to "live on wheels.")  Later I found out that the kids were not allowed to go to the "white" schools.  The case was taken to court.  In 1961 our first black student enrolled in our high school.  Above is the interview of Rayfield Barber recorded at the 1996 reunion.

Galatians 3: 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[g] nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.