The Public Perception

The Public Perception

I personally do not believe that the Chinese coronavirus, though real, is a threat to human existence. It does appear to me that it could be a threat to human existence as we have known it. The civil liberties of Americans have not only been threatened, they have all but been removed. Now that there is talk about loosening the shelter at home orders, there is also talk about how life will be different than it was pre-COVID-19. 

·       Will we ever shake hands again?

·       Will we ever enter a grocery store without a mask again?

·       We will ever willingly speak to a stranger again, smile at an unknown person on the street again?

I have watched, over the past 38 years in the ministry as even churchgoing people, those who claim to love the Lord, are more germophobic and willing to sit in a chair next to people they have known for 20 years. It used to be they said that Americans will tolerate a crowd until a building reaches 80% capacity. Really? Are we going to let the world dictate that a building is full at 50%? Are we honestly going to allow the government to mandate that restaurants must get our personal information and surrender it in order to serve us? Will we allow the same demands of our churches? 

I know.

I hear the bravado statements of those patriots claiming, 

·       They’ll never get my DNA!

·       I’ll never wear a mask in a store!

·       They’ll never come to my house to test me for COVID-19!

I think my father in law was the first one I ever heard say, “Never say never.” The fact is, if 40-50% of the American people really are convinced that the Chinese coronavirus is going to kill them off, then the patriot doesn’t stand a chance of standing his ground.

The battle right now, at least one of the major fronts of the battle, must be public relations. There needs to be an all-out assault of verifiable, believable, and credible information refuting the death knell of Chinese coronavirus. We need to flood the world with reason, facts, and, if the person is a believer, faith that we need not fear this virus. Be cautious, yes. Wash our hands, yes. But remain socially distant for the remainder of our lives? Certainly not!

Nothing has changed since December 2019, except our perception. There have always been bugs, viruses and bacteria that are a threat to those with health complications. It is also truer now that probably any other time in recent history that Americans, in particular, are less healthy, less able to fight off illness. Some good old-fashioned re-education on physical fitness, especially among the aging population (maybe 45 and up) would be helpful. But still, nothing has changed except our perception.

The answer to this battle for American liberty in the future rests, to a large extent to a large extent, on resetting our perceptions. If not to pre-2020, at least to something other than fear of common diseases.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields, and praying for the harvest