I want to begin with an apology. Last month l promised l would provide an update on Muslim extremism in West Africa. I will keep that promise at a later time. I am writing this month about the pandemic because of the concerns many of our listeners have expressed in their writings after listening to Africanpathways programs.
A cargo ship Grand Saint-Antoine docked in Marseille, France, on May 25, 1720, carrying cotton, silks, and several other items. Unknowingly, the vessel also brought in bacteria later identified as Yersinia pestis. The bacteria began to spread to humans through flies and other carriers. Later known as bubonic plague, it spread from town to town through Europe and beyond. Many measures, such as trade embargoes, quarantines, the prompt burial of corpses, disinfectants, vinegar, and herbs, were put in place to contain the pandemic. In the end, the ship was burnt and sunk off the coast of Marseille. The bubonic pandemic killed over 126,000 people and lasted more than two years.
In about 1820 (one hundred years after 1720), the first cholera epidemic struck near the city of Calcutta in India, later spread to other Asian countries affecting the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, the Middle East, Europe, China, Russia, Japan, and African countries. Over 100,000 people died from this pandemic. The disease lasted about four years.
In 1920 (one hundred years later, after 1820), a simple H1N1 flu virus went through genetic mutation, which later became more dangerous than the usual regular flu. Later called the Spanish flu, the influenza A virus became a pandemic and infected over 500 million people. In history, the Spanish flu holds the official records of any killer pandemic in the world. The disease killed over 50 million people worldwide, and about 675,000 people died in the United States. The condition lasted about two years.
In 2020 (one hundred years after 1920), coronavirus (COVID-19) started in China and has now spread worldwide. You are part of this history. Overall, God has reigned supreme throughout all these historical events. People who lived through these times held on to their faith in God.
Picture here, with caption “Workers Spraying Against Coronavirus Spread”
I’m not sure about you. For me, I know that if the world lasts another 100 years and there is another pandemic, I will not be here.
Today, l like to remind you about the story of Noah in Genesis 7:16, “And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.” May the Lord shut you in throughout this pandemic. Amen.
