Nowadays even an emergency requires an appointment. You may go to urgent care if there’s no urgency involved, and you can schedule ahead. Suppose you did wind up in urgent care . . .

The Visit
The nurse was nice enough. Maybe I was reading too much into the way he looked away, his mask tight on his face covering both mouth and nose, gloves on his hands.

I bet he’s sick of doing this. He took my temperature, blood pressure, weight, height, all the normal things they’ve always done, but this time the fever thing took on a new layer of meaning.

Before any other treatment could be pursued, he explained, they had to run the test.

I knew it.

It’s ok, I said, reassuringly. My wife really insisted that I come and get checked out.

It must be hard with this pandemic, I commented and then I thanked him.

No problem, he said. It’s not just us. It's happening in other parts of the world. Have you seen what’s happening in Brazil?

I guess so, I said. I mean, not really. I guess I haven’t been keeping up with any news, good or bad. For some reason I didn’t reveal to the nurse what my wife had dubbed my obsession with the news—on the lookout especially for good news about this global condition. I didn’t want to appear naive or ignorant about life.

Lots of bad news all round these days, he said, but I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or himself, so I didn’t reply.

He took a blood sample and told me it would be awhile before anyone would come back and left the room.

So, I waited.

Bored, I looked at the poster on the wall: Symptoms to watch out for.

I didn’t really want to read them, so I averted my eyes. But after another five minutes, well, I had enough. No one was coming back any time soon. I stood up and walked over to the poster. I had to admit that I was more than a little curious. Did I have it? I figured a self-check was in order.

Symptoms to watch out for
Inaudibly talking to a person or a force you cannot see.

Thinking of others as more significant than yourself.

Believing that you don’t have the final say in most things.

Believing that your life has started over, new, fresh, changed.

Gathering with people you don't know that well. Revealing things about yourself to them. Asking for help.

An alarming tendency to give away things to people who need help—money, food, clothing, sometimes in extreme cases, cars or even homes. Some even give their lives.

The list went on…

Beware: symptomatic or asymptomatic people may find themselves acting out in unorthodox ways

Allowing spit and dirt mixed into mud to be applied to blind eyes.

Casting your net on the other side of the boat.

Touching the hem of his garment.

Reading the same book over and over for years and expecting it to change you.

Selling everything and following him anywhere.

Laying down your life for your friends.

Believing that there’s nothing you can do to make yourself better.

Receiving atoning blood to cover your sin-stained soul.

Attempting to spread this sort of virus to others no matter the consequences.

By the time I was done reading the warnings, my heart was racing. What if this was happening to me?

The Diagnosis
Finally, the nurse came back into the room.

I was fine. The test came back negative. He seemed relieved. The doctors are busy treating others, he explained. And since you’re in the clear, you won’t even need to see one. We don’t want to waste their time.

You’re sure, I asked. Everything is fine?

It’s a pretty accurate test. Don’t feel bad. Your wife was right to send you in. It’s always a good idea to get checked. You don’t want to mess around with this stuff.

Okay, I said. We both stood up and he actually handed me the paperwork, which under the circumstances, surprised me.

There's a list of symptoms with your paperwork. Keep an eye out. Come back anytime for another test. Just because you're negative today doesn't mean you can't be infected tomorrow. So be careful.

You’re free to go, he said, and then thanked me for coming in and wished me a good day. Obviously, we did not shake hands.

From Voice of the Martyrs (actual reports from 6/18/2020)
Authorities in Wuhan seized the pastor of the Nanjing Road Church on Saturday, May 30, during an online Christian gathering. The day-long event, which was dedicated to church planting and evangelism, was being held online because of the pandemic. Police arrived at the church around noon and detained Pastor Luo, who was interrogated for more than four hours before being released. During the interrogation, Luo told the officials how Christians have been serving their communities in Wuhan during the pandemic.

Christian workers in Turkey report that restrictions and changes caused by the global pandemic have hit Iranian refugees hard. Many of the Iranians lost everything when they fled their country because of persecution for their Christian faith. And now, many have lost the low-paying jobs they had obtained in Turkey and are struggling to feed their families. In addition, they have little access to health care because the basic medical care provided to refugees has been stopped. “Some of our students who are unwell have avoided seeking medical treatment and are now in a critical situation,” a Christian worker wrote.

In central Asia, when a young boy got extremely sick, a front-line worker in the village accompanied him and his family to a hospital. While in the waiting room, the 10-year-old began to cry at the thought that he might be permanently confined to a wheelchair. The front-line worker then prayed for his healing, and within minutes the boy was able to walk again, surprising the front-line worker. But when the boy told his Muslim father that Jesus had healed him, he grew angry. “Never say that again,” his father told him. “It was Allah and his prophet, Muhammad, who healed you!” The boy’s father is afraid their relatives will shame them, but the boy is determined to tell everyone what happened to him.

God, give me this fever. Please may I never be cured. To live this day. To point others to you. To serve you till my very last breath.

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:2, 6)