Currently the media is filled with reports about Swine Flu. Read the newspapers, turn on the tv or listen to the radio, the news is the same.

Swine Flu is a blend of genetic material from pigs, birds and humans and is showing up in many areas. We have never seen this before and humans have no natural immunity to it. Containment measures seem to be making little difference and it is a worrying time for many.

The story is spreading like wildfire and it reminded me of an e-mail I received several years ago.   I’ll relaythe basics of it to you now, and I wonder if this will also spread like wildfire…

The day is over.

You are driving home and tune into the radio. You hear a little blurb about a village in India where some villagers have died suddenly of a flu that has never been seen before. It’s not influenza, but three people are dead.  It’s interesting because they are sending some doctors over there to investigate.

You don’t think much about it, but on Sunday, coming home from church, you hear another radio report.  This time it’s not just in the small village, but 30,000 villagers in the back hills of this particular area in India have been affected.

Doctors from the disease center fly out because this disease strain has never been seen before.

By Monday morning, it’s the lead story, for by now this strange flu has reached Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.  Everyone is talking about this mystery flu.

The US President says he and everyone else are praying for the victims and there’s concern about how the flu will be contained.  The French President announces he is closing the country’s borders and there are no flights out of India, Pakistan, or any other country where this flu strain has been seen.

On the news you watch a weeping French woman, and man in a Paris hospital dying from this flu.  Panic hits Europe.  Sufferers have it for a week before they even realize.  They then have four days of unbelievable symptoms before they DIE!

Britain closes its borders, but it’s too late.  Southampton, Liverpool, Northampton, all report victims, and on Tuesday morning, the President of the United States makes the following announcement:

“Due to a national security risk, all flights to and from Europe and Asia have been cancelled”.

No-one overseas could return until there was a cure for this “thing”

Within four days the nation was plunged  into unbelievable fear and people asked,

“What if it comes here?”

Preachers called it the scourge of GOD.

At the church  prayer meeting on Wednesday night, somebody ran in from the parking lot saying,

“Turn on the radio, turn on the radio”

and while the church listens to the little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made.  Two women are lying in a Long Island hospital dying of the mystery flu.

Within hours the thing just sweeps across the country. People work around the clock trying to find an antidote, but nothing works.

California, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts.  It’ s affecting everywhere, ju

st sweeping in from all the borders.

Then, suddenly news breaks. The code has been broken.  A cure can be found.  It requires a vaccine, which can be made from the blood of someone who hasn’t been infected.

On every news channel, emergency broadcasts ask everyone to do one simple thing – go to their downtown hospital to have their blood type taken.

That’s it.

Each neighborhood makes their way quickly, quietly and safely to the hospitals in an organized manner, and late on  Friday night you and your family are in a long line waiting to have your fingers pricked.

Blood is taken, labels written. Everyone is asked to wait in the parking lot until their name is called and they are dismissed.

Suddenly, a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming.  He’s yelling a name and waving a clipboard.

What?

He yells it again.  Your son tugs your jacket and says,

“Daddy, that’s me”.

Before you know it, they’ve  grabbed your son.

“Wait a minute.  Hold on”.

The  medical staff are reassuring.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay.  His blood is clean.  His blood is pure.  We want to make sure he doesn’t have the disease. We think he has the right type.

Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses crying and hugging each other.  Some are even laughing.  It’s the first time you’ve seen anyone laughing all week.  It’s been a tense time.

An old doctor walks up and says,

“Thank you sir.  Your son’s  blood type is perfect.  It’s clean.  It’s pure and we can make the vaccine.

As word spreads across the parking lot, people are screaming, praying, crying and laughing.  Everyone is celebrating.

The grey haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says,

May we have a word, please?  We didn’t realize the donor would be a minor and we need you to sign a consent form.

As you begin to sign, you notice there is no number against the pints of blood required to be taken.

How many pints do you need?

And that’s when the old doctor’s smile fades as he says,

“We had no idea it would be a little child.  We weren’t prepared.  We need it all!

“But, but I don’t understand.  He’s my only son”.

“We are talking about the world here.  Please sign.  We need it  all”

“But can’t you give him a transfusion?”

“If we had clean blood we would, but we haven’t.  Please, please will you sign?”.

In numb silence you do.  Then he asks,

“Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?”

Could you walk back?

Could you walk back into that room where your only son sits at the table saying,

“Daddy, Mummy, what’s going on?”

Could you take his hands and say,

“Son, your mummy and I love you very much and we would never let anything happen to you that didn’t have to be done.  Do you understand that?

And when the old doctor comes back and says,

I’m sorry but we have to get going. People all over the world are dying.

Would you be able to just leave?

Could you walk out when your son was asking,

“Dad, Mum, why have you forsaken me?”

Then the next week, when they have the ceremony to honor  your son, and some people sleep through it, some don’t even bother to turn up because they have better things to do, whilst others come with a pretentious smile, pretending to care, would you want to jump up and say,

“Excuse me.  My son DIED for YOU.  Don’t you even care?   Does it mean nothing to you?

I wonder if that’s what GOD wants to say?

Now, that’s the gospel in a nutshell.  Seeing the story through different eyes, I wonder - will this story spread like wildfire?

Jean Shaw

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