Fear of the Iron Lung

April 26, 2021

Scripture

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. …. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. (James 1:12,16-18 NLT)

 Fear of the Iron Lung

I’m old enough to remember the polio scare in Toronto which peaked in the early 1950’s. Fear of dirty water, fear of getting sick, pictures of kids and adults in iron lungs, fear of ending up in one – and then blessed relief, a vaccine to immunize us against the disease.

When in its most extreme stage the iron lung was the answer (like ventilators today) but they were in short supply, flown around the country to neediest places and eventually being cobbled together in the basements of hospitals by enterprising crafts people. Newspapers regularly published pictures of a father reading a story to his daughter in an iron lung – only her head visible while her body was fully enclosed – to keep our vigilance keen.

The game changed when we all lined up to receive our vaccines, the panic and fear dissipated as did the disease. I think it is that sort of memory that makes me keener about the need for our society to take advantage of a doorway out of disaster and see it as a gift from God rather than the plot of an evil cabal.

One thing we can do is offer friendship and care to one another. When someone comes to mind- call or text them. Just in the past few days I’ve had those sorts of opportunities and the needs of my friends for support are clear and pressing. We need each other.

A Prayer for Today

God of Good Gifts, I’m sure you find many of our prayers for help ironic when we don’t take advantage of the resources you offer already. We are friends and have friends and can be friends – if you move us towards your vision for the world. There are disciplines for protecting one another and medical resources to resist the spread of disease – help us see them as your good gifts to use responsibly and with love for one another …. For Jesus’ sake