Near the end of the 16th century, William Shakespeare completed his well-known literary work, Much Ado About Nothing. The play, a comedy that takes place in Messina on the island of Sicily, was first performed in 1612.
What I find extremely interesting is how the title fits our present ongoing discussion of the coronavirus two years into its onslaught on society. The four main characters, two couples in the play. are confronted emotionally by “noting” the comments of those in their midst, subtly causing them to fall romantically in love.
That very short noun “ado” found in the title can be quite revealing. Here’s one working definition of the word worth sharing: a state of agitation or fuss, especially about something unimportant.
I’m not hinting that the coronavirus pandemic has been unimportant, but in my opinion the latest Omicron variant fits this definition quite well.
Yet, bureaucrats around the world continue to make much ado about nothing. Please note the emphasis on the letters A, D and O, registering the digression from the Alpha to the Delta and finally to the Omicron — the three significant variants we’ve faced during this pandemic.
Could we be making too much of a fuss over this most recent variant?
It seems to me that this world has communicated a storyline that has created much noise and confusion. We appear to be caught in a vicious vise of misinformation.
Here in the United States, we continually witness all levels of government, along with Big Pharma and an uncanny assist from most media outlets, stirring a narrative that creates fear (perhaps unintentionally) among the populace.
Many naively follow their lead and do whatever they are directed to do. Are we like sheep being led to slaughter?
Here’s where I believe we’ve gone wrong. When governing bodies start to act like God, we’re in serious trouble. When the populace starts placing trust in any institution as if it were all-knowing, we need to step back and assess the situation.
Fortunately, many these days seem to be waking up and realizing that all we are being fed is not necessarily the truth. Yes, there are truths being presented, but we’re not getting the whole truth.
My trust throughout the past two years of this pandemic has come from the only True Source: God Almighty. In Psalm 20:7, the psalmist proclaims, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Through my years of following God’s Word, I’ve become pretty good at discerning right from wrong. During this pandemic, I’ve grown suspicious of much of the advice and directives that have been forced on us. This is not a political battle, but a battle for the control of our very lives.
Here’s my assessment of where we are in this proclaimed pandemic. God has brought the Omicron variant, which is extremely contagious, into the picture to bring about immunity and do away with the deadly effects of the earlier variants. He is after all often referred to as the Great Physician.
Vaccinations appear to have little effect on this latest variant, which I believe has been sent by God. In fact, administering more vaccines may even be slowing down the natural immunity that is possibly in our midst.
Let me conclude with my own proclamation. As for me and my family, we place our total trust in the Alpha and Omega — the one True God!
Passages to Ponder
— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at jim@fourthquarterstrategies.com for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.