Swine Flu? I was at London's Heathrow airport yesterday and a lady walked off a plane with a face mask. I was tempted to take her picture but it occurred to me that only one person out of thousands and thousands had a mask and my photo of a single individual would create a distorted view of how people are reacting to this swine flu situation. I dont think its nearly as bad as the WHO and the media is saying. Really.
While I am sympathetic to those who have lost loved ones, I am of the opinion that this swine flu from Mexico has been overexposed out of proportion and has created unnecessary fear. It is, as Simon Jenkins has judged, a "panic stoked in order to posture and spend". And the church should not be part of the media push that will help fund pharmaceutical companies like GSK that have already starting working on it under a "sleeper" contract.
Hey preachers! Don't be conformed by the world's media voices. The church overreacted to the Y2K crisis at the turn of the new century, which was hardly a crisis at all. I had a friend who even wrote a book on it and published it around the time of the millennium, which, on looking back with a cringing face, is now just an embarrassing entry on his resume and a reminder that the church is to be a voice of reason and rationality in a world going crazy with fear.
Regarding pigs and intensive farming, [not saying there is a direct connection with pigs and the H1N1 virus but there MIGHT be], I feel that the church should lead the way in healthier industrial practices that may prevent weird strains of viruses in the future. Our family leans towards a cruelty-free meat diet and away from intensive farming techniques that are cruel to animals and unhealthy for everyone.
What do to? Pray for the families that have suffered lost. Pray for those with the swine flu to recover quickly. Keep yourself healthy and eat well. Don't sneeze on people but carry a hanky. And be of good cheer.
