If I Have It, I Hope I'm Symptomatic

Some symptoms are better than others

We are witnessing and experiencing a global pandemic of a novel coronavirus that has been labeled SARS-CoV-2. Many of us have gained a whole new glossary of terms that has been thrust onto our collective vernacular and we furiously attempt to learn all that we can about the virus and its resulting disease called COVID-19. One of the things we have learned is that people infected with the virus may or may not show any outward, noticeable symptoms. Testing is being done on several levels. Some of the testing is to confirm whether people with symptoms do, in fact have COVID-19 or some other viral infection like influenza. This allows doctors to know the appropriate course of treatment as well as how to deal with issues of quarantine, contact tracing, etc.. Some of the testing is to see if asymptomatic (not showing symptoms) people are, in fact, carrying the disease. Some of the testing is to see if people are carrying antibodies which would be an indicator of a "successful," previous exposure/infection. Symptomatic. Asymptomatic. If you have this disease, can anyone tell? Is it noticeable to you and others around you?

I have been thinking lately about the whole issue of symptoms. My wife and I were both sick in mid-March with symptoms that, at any other time, I would have simply attributed to a cold. But, not this time. I took temperature readings every 4-6 hours and continuously asked my wife a litany of questions to see if she was experiencing any of the known symptoms of COVID-19 (we didn't and it WAS just a cold.)

But, this blog post isn't about SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19.

If anyone asks me if I am religious, if I'm a believer, what church I attend, or any number of other queries that might answer my "spiritual identity," I would answer that I am a Christian... a follower of Jesus Christ. The church I attend is very important to me... it is the fellowship of believers with whom my wife and I have been partnered since 1983. But, it is secondary to who I am. As a believer and follower of Christ, I know that the Holy Spirit "resides" in me as in other followers of Christ.

So, this brings me back to the title of this blog. If I Have It, I Hope I'm Symptomatic.

If I am a Christian, do I demonstrate any of the symptoms?

In addition to the commands from Jesus that we find in the Gospels, the 5th Chapter of the Book of Galatians provides a pretty good summary of what those "symptoms" should look like. The entire chapter reveals attributes that a believer should be living. But, there are two verses in particular, verses 22 and 23, that are simple yet powerful. These verses are typically described as defining the "fruits of the Spirit." The symptoms, if you will, of a person who is a Christ follower.

22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control..."

There are people walking around right now with the coronavirus inside of them... but you would have a hard time knowing it from observing them. There is very little that is noticeable from the outside... nothing that distinguishes them from all the other people walking around.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control

I hope I'm symptomatic. I want what is inside of me to be manifested on the outside. And, as opposed to a virus, this is one thing I am eager to share with others.

Three in One

"...God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity." If you have spent any time in a Christian worship service where hymns are sung, you have most likely sung the well known hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy." The last line of the last stanza ends with those declarative words-- God in three Persons. Blessed Trinity.

The Trinity is one of the most difficult of Christian doctrines to understand, much less explain. I certainly am no expert on the subject. The concept of God as being One, yet being Three Persons has been a matter of study, discussion, and debate for as long as there have been followers of Jesus.  The three major monotheistic religions- Judaism, Islam and Christianity part ways when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity.

Those that accept the doctrine of the Trinity understand that God is One, yet three Persons-- The Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three Persons...distinct, yet One. Three in One; One in Three. Difficult to grasp.

When we teach children about the Trinity many times we will try to use analogies. A commonly taught analogy says that God is like the substance we know as water (H2O.) Water above 212 degrees becomes steam... but it is still water. Water that is below 32 degrees we call ice... but it is still water. Of course, in between those two temperatures we know the liquid form of water. See? Three forms of the same thing. Ice, water and steam... all H2O. But, like any analogy we try to use to explain God, this one doesn't work all that well because we are merely describing three "forms" of water. The three Persons of the Trinity are not merely "forms" of God.

I drew a chart that I had seen many years ago that was helpful to me in teaching about the Trinity:

the Trinity

When we say that the three Persons of the Trinity are distinct it means exactly that. God The Father is NOT Jesus the Son. And Jesus is NOT the Holy Spirit just as the Holy Spirit is NOT The Father. But, The Father IS God. Jesus IS God. And the Holy Spirit IS God. And there is only One God.

Total Solar Eclipse 2017

A little over a week ago millions in the US were fortunate to observe the solar eclipse. What an incredible sight and experience that was, especially if you were able to witness the total eclipse for maximum duration. Maybe you remember all of the warnings about using proper eye protection in order to not damage your retinas by staring too long unprotected from the UV radiation. UV radiation is invisible but can cause a photochemical reaction that can damage the receptors of the retina.

The eclipse reminded me of another analogy sometimes used to explain the Trinity. It is the one I like the best.

Think of the sun as representing God. We can think of the physical star itself as being The Father, however we cannot actually see it (forget for a moment those fancy scientists with all their fancy equipment.) When we gaze up to the sun, we cannot actually see the star itself.... but it is there.

the light of the sun

What we can see is the light of the sun. We can equate this to Jesus. If we want to know what God is, we can look at and see Jesus. Jesus is described in scripture as the Light of the World. Jesus is what (whom) we see... like the light of the sun. But the sun also has power. In addition to those UV rays, the sun also emits an incredible amount of heat... solar energy. We have even figured out how to turn that solar energy into electricity. We can't really see the sun's power. But we can experience it, use it, and feel it.

With the naked eye, no one can see the star we call the sun. It's way too bright to even look upon for more than a couple of seconds. What we can see is the light that the sun emits. The light that chases away the darkness. The light that gives and sustains life allowing all creation to live and grow. The light that saves the world. And we know that the power of the sun is there because we can feel it, experience it, and we see the powerful things it can do. Yes, I like this particular analogy because I am reminded of the presence and faithfulness of God every time I see the sun rise in the morning. It takes away the darkness of night. It gives life. And when I feel the warmth of the sun on my face it reminds me that the Holy Spirit is very much present and provides power and strength.

God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity.