Is there a lesson behind the Omicron variant?
Dear Church,
The appearance of the Omicron variant proved once more how potent and resilient COVID-19 is. It is the third variant already. First, we saw the Alpha variant, followed by the Delta variant, and now the Omicron variant. Each time its ability to spread itself has increased by several times. I thought we were seeing the end of the long tunnel last fall. I thought we would resume most of the things we used to do before. Little did I anticipate that Omicron would strike back. The travel industry is hit hard again as many are canceling their flights. The timing from the virus’ perspective is perfect. Our children will have to wait longer before they can come to church. It has been almost two years for them!
The impact of COVID-19 is in no way near what the 14th-century bubonic plague pandemic was. Some historians tell us that the Black Death wiped out as many as one-third of Europe’s population. Nonetheless, COVID-19 is a real threat to all of us. The main problem is the uncertainty it brings to our lives. We just do not know what our future holds. We make plans, but all plans are subject to change. We do not know how long we are going to be in limbo. We must guard our hearts lest they become too despaired. This year’s Christmas will be right in the thick of war against Omicron. Gathering for worship or family dinner will inevitably have its risks. So please be careful and observe all the safety rules.
Is there a lesson behind the Omicron variant? What if this variant never came out, and we were coming out of the tunnel? What would we be doing right now? Would we go back to our lives as though nothing happened? Or would we approach life differently from now on? Omicron forces us to think about our lives and what they should be. It is another mountain to climb before seeing what lies ahead of us.
May the Lord bless you and have a safe Christmas!
May the LORD bless you,
Pastor Minho Song
