When the first news began to trickle out about a virus in Wuhan, China, I spoke candidly with a cousin who spent years in military intelligence. "Probably a lab leak", I told him. He shrugged and said, "We have lab leaks at these facilities all the time. That book written by Stephen King is not all that far off".
He was referring, of course, to one of my favorite novels of all time, The Stand. It chronicles the collapse of civilization as the result of the accidental release into the general public of a 'super flu'. Only a handful of people (and creatures) seem to be immune from it. Known as 'Captain Trips' is decimates the United States. The grid goes down, the lights go out and chaos ensues. The ultimate fight becomes one of Good vs. Evil as Satan, in the form of character Randall Flagg, gathers those who give into fear and pride and choose to believe the same lie told to our first parents, into a kind of army of badness. Some of them try to leave but, much like the angels created by God, their choice of evil seems to be irrevocable and they are killed trying to escape.
Meanwhile, the good guys are gathered around the God figure of Mother Abigail. The ones that answer her call are people who are flawed, who have made horrific mistakes in their lives but who ultimately choose redemption and sacrifice over their own well-being.
Spoiler Alert - the Good Guys win (for now).
I have been thinking a lot about that book ever since the Vanity Fair article on the origins of the virus hit the internet yesterday. It is an exhaustive report but well worth the read. If you can put aside about an hour to just read and try to digest the information it will do you good. You can find it: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-lab-leak-theory-inside-the-fight-to-uncover-covid-19s-origins?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=vf&utm_mailing=VF_CH_Weekly_060321&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c65ad8f24c17c67f8195b00&cndid=49644108&hasha=bf8b56b672775145f1e9cd57f3fb585f&hashb=1e72555ecccdd493c88acd6a8231de3f3e98b9b2&hashc=a2b21611fca17cb70bfa519a89f6f483a9429e6489172359ab3f146be08d3e0e&esrc=AUTO_PRINT&source=EDT_VYF_NEWSLETTER_0_COCKTAIL_HOUR_ZZ&utm_campaign=VF_CH_Weekly_060321&utm_term=VYF_Cocktail_Hour
As I read two thoughts came to mind. The first was the incredibly entrenched bureaucracy of the State Department. The second was the naiveté of the average citizen (myself included). While my instincts were correct (that the virus was a lab leak and probably unintentional) I still have the tendency to think of the US as the 'good guys'. To have to acknowledge once again that our government has been involved in the type of research that weaponizes viruses is really kind of painful. It also bugs the heck out of me that the people who signed the Lancet Statement were outraged when a certain segment of the population dismissed their rending of garments. Why the heck would we believe you? Your very existence as a funded researcher depends upon your willingness to say anything to keep the money flowing.
Much has been made of Black America being rather resistant to being vaccinated. The reality is that, unlike a suburban White girl like me, the Black community has recent historical touchstones to turn to regarding a lack of trust in the medical and scientific community. Of course many of them are not willing to get vaccinated. Just as Italian immigrants of my youth were reluctant to ever go to a hospital because that's were you went to die, the collective memory (to paraphrase Jung) of Black America is that what comes out of a needle may not be real.
While I reject the QAnon nuts (that's right, I said Nuts) who pushed the scenario of a vial being stolen by a US Army veteran and then accidentally being released during a bicycle race, the idea that human error could be the ultimate cause of a worldwide pandemic was never out of the realm of possibility in my mind. Many may ask I did not speak out more on that subject. That is a fair question. Here is my reason:
Any and all discussions around the origin of the virus because both politicized and given a weird air of religiosity. If I questioned the reports, I was a right-wing Trump loving bigot. If I said, "I can see how it might be animal originated" I was a left-wing, commie pinko God hating Child Sex Ring supporting Democrat. Frankly, you all made me tired because so few of you were willing to just talk.
Those of us who were willing to discuss things were called names. My favorite? "Over Educated Idiots". This came from a self-proclaimed SUPER CATHOLIC who also pushed the heresy of individualism over the Truth of being the Body of Christ.
Even now with the release of this particular report sides are forming up and swords are rattling. Dr. Fauci is a traitor. The News Media and Scientists cannot be trusted. Those who chose to believe that the virus originated from an animal are suspiciously quiet, set back on their heels by this sudden shift in focus.
Then there are people like me (and others) who are reading this information with the eyes of Faith and with a critical eye. There is a reason this story is now gaining traction. There is a reason we are now being given another scenario to consider and I want to know why. I want to know why this is now okay to discuss. I want to know why the term "gain of function research" is entering the everyday lexicon. What the hell happened now?
The Fourth Estate has a lot of mea culpas to make as to its handling of the entire situation. The willingness to accept, at face value, initial statements and not start digging proves that referring to themselves as journalists is a misnomer. Being a Talking Head is different than being a true investigative journalist. Most of them are gussied up Weather Boys. Their opinions really do not matter. Whether it comes out of the mouth of Sean Hannity or Chris Cuomo no one still using their brain should be impressed.
Instead, we need to keep asking questions. When the reports are filed, read them. Ask more questions.
Then we need to ask for guidance from God by offering all that we have, all we have been told and all that we have not been told, to Him.
Ultimately, that is our only sane course of action.
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