The Crown to Whom? (English)

The Crown to Whom? (3/26/20)

As in the Bible we name people with specific meanings. Calling Chun Soo or Man Bok, we expect the named to live thousand years or to be blessed with ten thousand blessings, but the name given by God fulfills its intended meaning. Abraham named by God as father of all nations has become the ancestor of Jews, Christians and Moslems in the world, Peter the Rock being the foundation faith of the church.

God, sending his son into the world, named him Jesus, Savior from sin and death. Three wise men from afar came to Jerusalem and asked for the newborn King of the Jews. Jesus, launching his ministry in Capernaum (village of comfort), visited the synagogue there to worship God. A demon-possessed man there saw him and cried, “He is the son of God” and the demon left his host. Jesus gives comfort, peace, healing and life any place and any time.

The centurion of Rome the world power in charge of executing Jesus saw him die and confessed and proclaimed, “He is the son of God indeed”. Completing his ministry and returning to God, Jesus sat on the throne, with all living creatures and elders around laying their crowns before him and praising him. His church sings praises, ‘Crown Him with Many Crowns’, ‘Crown Him, Crown Him, King of Kings’, proclaiming him as Savior King.

Now the whole world has almost stopped its function in unprecedented horror due to a novel virus. World Health Organization named it coronavirus for it looks like a ball with spikes. Corona means crown in Latin. Coronavirus can be interpreted as ‘crown to virus’. The same virus ended up as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (middle east respiratory syndrome) before but now it acts like a king.

The virus seems to me like a spiked mace used in medieval torture and flogging. It invades a host without any symptom and spreads to neighbors secretly, attacking the breathing organ and finally choking it to death. It spreads rapidly in secret to all continents of the world except Antarctic and to all 50 states of USA, disabling all finance, science, technology and military forces, disassembling company, factory, school, church, and public and private organizations, and distancing each other in distrust. Crying ‘coronavirus (crown to virus)’, all surrender and see it proceed.

The virus adjusts properly as a living organ. It invades in disguise and deceit, grows and kills the host. Individuals, organizations, and nations almost stop their regular activities, surrender and lay their crowns before it without resistance, opening the way for it to expand its power like king. It is what Satan does. Satan disguises itself from the beginning, deceives with lies, and separates God and man, killing and destroying man. Satan even appeared to Jesus saying “I will give you the whole world of splendor if you bow down and worship me” but Jesus commanded, “Satan, be gone! Worship and serve the Lord your God only.” Satan left him right away. Then Satan and its tool demons run away in fear and trembling even at a sight of Jesus and then are thrown in fire of hell finally. Satan dare not stand along with Lord Jesus, author of breath, vitality and abundant life.

Most of the church and Christians have crowned self and world as king. Now you see they lay their glorious crowns before the virus preceding Satan, don’t you? We will rather shout “Spiked mace to virus!” won’t we? Isn’t it time for us Christians and churches to watch and repent our self-imposed kingship contrary to our saying that Jesus is our King? Where Lord Jesus reigns as King, there comes the heaven full of life, love, freedom and peace. Won’t we start our faith reformation for life as we sing praise loudly in spirit and truth ‘Crown Jesus’?