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TEXT 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; SUBJECT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR INTRODUCTION ILLUSTRATION This week there was panic and fear in communities from Mexico City to Tokyo, from Accra to New Orleans, from Texas to Jerusalem. Fear and panic crisscrossed the world as news media spread the word of a deadly flu virus called H1N1 or the Swine flu. The virus took on religious overtones as Muslims in Egypt ordered the slaughter of up to 400 thousand pigs, primarily raised by Coptic Christians, in order to prevent the spread of the disease –this on the report of 2 cases of H1N1 in nearby Israel. The Center for Disease Control made a decision to use the technical name for this rare form of influenza or the flu, H1N1 because of the misinformation leading people to think that the virus was being transmitted by contact with pigs or eating pork. In Texas, over 53,000 students are out of school due to school closings, with additional school closings in eight states. Fredricka Whitfield of CNN, said that, “The fear is spreading faster than the flu.” Internet sites selling respiratory masks are sold out. Even though many medical professionals say that they are not effective in stopping the spread of the virus. Behind the world wide panic is the greatest enemy of believers, fear. |
