Today's Journey Through Covid-19

As I woke up this morning I was thinking of what should I do through COVID-19 pandemic. I said to myself, “I want to go for a walk.” While walking along the street, people were passing with a mask on protecting from the virus, looking like they were going to rob a bank. Some words that came out of my mouth were, “Stay safe and stay in prayer.” The people respond with, “You do the same.” Children playing in their yard, not really concerned about what was happen because of this violent sickness disease, “COVID-19”. I went to the bank, looking like a bandit ready to rob the bank, thinking about some of the movies I have seen where robbers rob a bank. I begin to laugh to myself knowing that I was going to deposit money, not to rob. Soon that thought went away, what else can I say. When I left the bank on my way back home, there was a creek trail the city plan to open doing the summer, I decided to walk on apart of it, looking at all the water running through the creek, the water is higher than usual because the snow beginning to melt. Children playing, riding their bike, and on their skates, enjoying their time out of school when others are panicking, buying up as much food as their money can buy. Note: I understand why the news is concerned about how this virus is spreading and how many people are dying; however, they should also report how many people have recovered. Why walking along the creek trail, under a bridge lied a man which I thought was not alive, I called out to him; “hey! Are you okay?” He didn’t answer me right away because he was drinking wine or something. He finally indicated to me that he had an argument with some of his family members (plus other problem that he had) and lying down trying to get some rest. He asked me for some money so that he could get some to eat because he was hungry, so I gave him some money and some food that I had received from the community center in the area. I recognize that he had some beer in his possession and possibly he was an alcoholic and or high on some other kind of drugs too. He was glad that I woked him up because he could have been robbed or taken advantage of in the dark area that he was lying in. I also asked him do he want me to pray with him and he said yes. We prayed and while he was eating the food that I gave to him, I gave him a card for him to call me if he ever wants to talk; he said okay and thank me for caring. This story that I am telling you today reminds me of a story that was told in scripture that goes like this: Parable of the Good Samaritan On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied? “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live?” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, A Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Another parable that came to my thought is: The Rich Man and Lazarus “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” When we look at the two stores and what each man has done, the parable of the “Good Samaritan” is the one that we should be like and God through Christ Jesus will direct our paths.