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Are We Walking Through the “Valley of the Shadow of Death?”
Today is the fourth day of our spring break, and we were supposed to be in Philadelphia. My wife and I had planned to visit my sister and her husband, and we had tickets to see a play. The play has been canceled, though, because of the virus, so we decided not to travel, to instead lay low and ride out the storm, so to speak.
We didn’t go to church on Sunday either because the medical experts have advised us to avoid crowds and, thus, avoid contracting the virus or, if we are unknowingly carrying the virus, spreading it to others. As a result, I stay at home, and I think about similar events that have frightened me in the past. Numerous examples come to mind.
As an 11-year-old boy, I vaguely remember the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. At that age, I didn’t know details, of course, but the adults at school kept talking about a “possible nuclear war” and “the end of the world.” Yes, I was definitely afraid. Fortunately, those same adults, the nuns and priests at St. Mary’s Institute, prayed for a peaceful resolution and safety for us all. Fortunately, too, after 13 days, the crisis was averted.
