CEBU, Philippines - Many of us don’t believe in God until we are hurt. Many of us don’t believe in microbes until we are sick.
Each day and every second of our lives whether we are awake, asleep, at work or at play, whatsoever we do and wherever we are, microbes are there with us and in us. We hardly notice their existence because we don’t see them. Just as God is in us, many of us disregard God and the salvation of His Son even if it is through God’s mercy on us that we are not slain because of our sins and that we are standing, walking and breathing. God is in us when the sun rises in the morning, when an earthquake pulverizes humanity into rubble or when God commands His army of microbes to annihilate humanity.
God created microbes in the same way as He created human beings. Microbes are important to man and man to microbes. Oftentimes, microbes are condemned because these are the cause and carriers of infectious diseases. Microbes were responsible for the HIN1 strain that caused the outbreak of swine flu killing thousands worldwide.
But then microbes are just as beneficial to all of us because it through microbes that we can preserve food, ferment, improve soil and crop quality and even create the antibodies to stop infection. Microorganisms can be useful in agriculture because it is through them that drought-tolerant crops can be grown. Microorganisms have opened the secrets by which vaccines can be cultured and manufactured.
Last month, some 300 scientists and microbiologists from all over the country converged in Naga City on the occasion of their 39th annual convention and scientific meeting. What particularly impressed me was that these scientists and microbiologists had come to talk about and study something they did not see but believed – microorganisms.
“Microorganisms existed long before dinosaurs and cockroaches were born,” the scientists spoke in jest although it was true. Microorganisms are an entire family of virus, bacteria and parasites and we bump, inhale and take-in any of these everyday and probably every second without our knowing.
People started believing in microbes during the 17th century after the microscope was invented. But even after scientists warned of sanitation and abusive practice to cause bad microbes to multiply, nobody believed scientists until people were dying. During the outbreak of bird flu and swine flu, nobody believed scientists that overpopulated poultry and swine farms would someday create a virus or strain that would be detrimental to animals and eventually humans. People started to heed when the virus had transferred to humans and there were fears of a pandemic.
Believing without Seeing
It made me wonder then that if these scientists, some of whom had doctorate degrees, had gone out of their way to study these tiny, invincible, powerful organisms in the name of humanity, did they also believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ who are the creator and savior of humanity?
If we believe in microbes because we see them, do we also believe in God through the written word in the Bible? During the outbreak of bird flu and swine flu, governments all over the world campaigned aggressively for hygienic practices to prevent the disease and ordered culling of fowls and swine to contain the outbreak.
When God sent His Son to die for our sins, did we repent our wicked ways, die to sin and cleaned and cleansed our lives in abiding with Christ so we can be spared from the outbreak of sin?
Satan has his own army of microbes. It takes only one unseen microbe to annihilate humanity. It takes a prayer conviction and repentance in accepting Jesus Christ our Savior in one’s life to save man from the indescribable annihilation of Hell.