Sunday, May 3, 2009

I'm coming down with something again. I doubt that it's the swine flu. I'm a little suspicious of the timing of this "potential pandemic." I am sick of the suave soundbites - they irritate the heck out of me. There are 160 confirmed cases in the US. There are roughly 307,000,000 people in the US. You do the math. Every now and then the news media qualify their reports by stating that the this is a mild strain, and then they go on to list the symptoms - which sound exactly like the regular flu. But then, people can't afford to take sick time because their paychecks are already affected by the economic mess. And then we have the pork producers. We used to raise hogs - not exactly a get rich quick occupation. The pork producers are taking a hit for this. So what do we do? We rename the virus. H1N1. There, we've done our part. But the panic has already set in. You rarely hear the virus referred to only as H1N1, there is always the "swine flu" modifier. I refuse - absolutely refuse to live my life in fear. I am just cynical enough to think that there is a direct connection between this "threat" and the move to shove socialized medicine down our throats. But that's just me. I've been wrong before. I hope I'm wrong this time. One thing I do know - it's a very bad time to take God out of the mix - and THAT seems to be pandemic.

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Word of the day:
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Gospel
Jn 10:11-18

Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd
and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,
and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;
and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father."