A “bat outta Hell”?
How interesting! How instructive? This disease that seems to have emerged out of nowhere (in fact it has not emerged out of nowhere, but some would say it arose like the proverbial ‘bat outta hell’!) in the minds of the Western world, is called by a name that seems to entail its own story. As they say, “what’s in a name”? Does the very name coronavirus remind us of God’s holy and majestic purposes? The immediate below is from the current Wikipedia entry for coronaviruses:
“Coronavirus” is derived from Latin corona, meaning “crown” or “wreath”, itself a borrowing from Greek ?????? kor?n?, “garland, wreath”. The name was coined by June Almeida and David Tyrrell who first observed and studied human coronaviruses. The word was first used in print in 1968 by an informal group of virologists in the journal Nature to designate the new family of viruses. The name refers to the characteristic appearance of virions (the infective form of the virus) by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of the solar corona or halo. This morphology is created by the viral spike peplomers, which are proteins on the surface of the virus.
In the quote above, the words underlined are obviously links within Wikipedia (this is a big subject!). The link to virions (above) takes us straight to Wikipedia’s entry for viruses. We will not dally too long on viruses as, frankly, this is not my area of expertise nor our key theme. This is from the ‘virions’ entry in Wikipedia:
The origins of viruses in the evolutionary history of life are unclear: some may have evolved from plasmids—pieces of DNA that can move between cells—while others may have evolved from bacteria. In evolution, viruses are an important means of horizontal gene transfer, which increases genetic diversity in a way analogous to sexual reproduction. Viruses are considered by some biologists to be a life form, because they carry genetic material, reproduce, and evolve through natural selection, although they lack the key characteristics such as cell structure that are generally considered necessary criteria for life. Because they possess some but not all such qualities, viruses have been described as “organisms at the edge of life”, and as self-replicators.
The evolution of a controversy
The immediate foregoing must be challenging for Christians on both sides of the controversy regarding evolution versus creation, especially bearing in mind the recent C-19 pandemic. For the Christian evolutionist we have the ‘problem’ as to whether a virus is “life” (why does that line keep returning in my mind “its life, Jim, but not as we know it”?!). If it is “life” then, in evolutionary theory, it must be a good and positive thing. So the evolutionist must then “evolve” a “reason” as to why “mother nature” has created almost-life virions and how they “benefit” evolution. I think I’m right in saying that the Christian evolutionist (and probably all evolutionists) believe that everything that “evolves” is an exemplar of the beneficial “genius” of “nature” and that in “evolution” all things work together for the advancement of the genetic order. The old term for this belief was, from the late nineteenth century, “onwards and upwards”! So where do killer viruses fit into their belief system?
For the Christian creationist the problem is almost as complex: a virus is an exemplar of a fallen world, so did God “allow” viruses to self-propagate and if so, for what reason? Did God create the virions? If yes, was the recent pandemic an act of judgment? If no, are we right to ask God to completely eliminate virions as they emerge, despite Mankind’s refusal to repent towards God? Have we that right, at all? (Incidentally, that was precisely the call of the recent interfaith-multifaith initiative orchestrated by the so-called “Higher Committee For Human Fraternity” and promoted vigorously by Pope Francis).
We must be careful here. Some things are simply beyond human reasoning and frankly, are from God’s perspective none of our business, no matter how much we might like to know the answers (1 Corinthians 13:12 reminds us that we presently live in a world where we do not “see” all things clearly).
What, then, might coronavirus have hidden within its name that can be of interest to all Christians? As we have seen the name “coronavirus” is derived from Latin corona, meaning “crown” or “wreath”. It seems our world has been compelled to find fear in this new crown, with people hiding away. “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment” (Proverbs 18:1 NKJV – true in the western world today?)
A crown worth having !
The “crown” that the believer will be awarded is the stephanos (from stepho = to encircle, twine or wreathe). This was a wreath made of foliage or designed to resemble foliage and worn by one of high status. It was an adornment as a crown of victory in Greek athletic games. The reward was given to the runner who crossed the line first, or the javelin thrower with the longest throw, etc.
Apart from recognition of athletes, in the Greek-Roman world, the award of a stephanos signified appreciation for exceptional contributions to the state or to civic groups, recipients being usually public officials. Sometimes they were civic-minded persons serving at their own expense. That sounds like one useful definition of a Christian; someone who serves in God’s commonwealth, but who expects nothing in return. Stephanos is used metaphorically to refer to a community of believers who stand as proof of a faithful worker’s success (1Thessalonians 2:19,20). Here stephanos is that which serves as an ‘adornment’, or source of pride. (More details here: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=33777 ).
By contrast with the stephanos, the crown that our Lord Jesus is awarded is a diadem (Revelation 19:12). He is truly King of kings and Lord of lords. His crown is a royal one. Our ‘crown’ is given as a reward, but His is worn as an inalienable right. No wonder Matthew Bridges was moved to write the hymn “Crown Him with many Crowns – the Lamb upon His throne”. Remember the threefold nature of Christ’s ministry, as Prophet, Priest and ….. King.
Christians joyfully anticipate the award of their stephanos “of righteousness” (James 1: 12; 1 Corinthians 9: 25; 2 Tim 4:8) as God’s gracious reward for their living for Him and in Him in this opposing world. It will be His acknowledgement of their adoption as His “sons” (Ephesians 1: 5). When Mankind gave God the only crown it would ever award to Him, it was a crown of thorns. In that shared act, nothing could be clearer than Mankind’s rejection of their Saviour God and their ultimate desire to live as demi-gods usurping His rightful place. How sad, but how very telling!
A halo worth avoiding !
The name coronavirus refers to the characteristic appearance of virions (the infective form of the virus) with a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of the solar corona or halo. Ian Sadler’s book “Mystery, Babylon The Great” makes much of the halo as being a Byzantine – Roman Catholic symbol that emerged within the Babylonian mystery religions (see especially chapter 7). The halo image emerged essentially from pagan sun worship but was adopted by the Byzantine (later Roman Catholic) church. Isn’t it tragic, once again, that instead of Son worship we see, historically, vestiges of sun worship. And its pagan symbolism still, even today, is hidden in plain sight in so much “Christian” iconography.
So in the recent C-19 episode we see a different type of halo – a halo of fear that should drive us to Son worship, but given today’s burgeoning interest in paganism, is far more likely to project us backwards into ancient pagan worship. Perhaps hidden within this entire episode, is an eloquent commentary on Mankind’s inherited and common fears (see “The Fear Factor” from our July 2020 comment).
Beyond any human ability to physically see, there is the abject fear of an invisible viral crown. And that crown of fear adorns the world’s global sphere – universal fear. Rather than look forward to the crown of righteousness and all it imparts, Mankind lives in dread of an invisible coronation. Yet still Mankind refuses to turn in faith to the only sure answer to his eternal problem.
But the good news is today, and has been for 2000 years, that a crown of life awaits “those who persevere under trials.” (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10). Jesus references this crown when he tells the Church in Smyrna to “not be afraid of what you are about to suffer… Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” In Revelation we are told that twelve “elders” will cast their crowns before Jesus, surely in a symbolic act acknowledging that everything we have been given is owed totally, and eternally, to Him.
What a wonderful truth that is. And all we need to do is to turn to Jesus in faith and repentance, living for Him, and in return He awards us a crown of life and an inheritance that can never fade (1 Peter 1:4). Praise Him! Today, which crown most absorbs your thoughts and energies?
Peter Sammons is commissioning editor at Christian Publications International. He is author of the books “Rebel Church” (2013), “The Prince of Peace” (2015) and “Three Days and Three Nights – That Changed the World (co-authored with David Serle) in 2019.
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