History Mystery

When we don’t pay attention to the past, we are doomed to repeat it in the future. For example, Wikipedia reminds us …

“There was a pandemic of rubella [German Measles] between 1962 and 1965.

1. It started in Europe and spreading to the United States.
2. In the years 1964–65, the United States had an estimated 12.5 million rubella cases.
3. This led to 11,000 miscarriages or therapeutic abortions.
4. Also it included 20,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
5. Of these, 2,100 died as neonates, 12,000 were deaf,
6. Further more 3,580 were blind, and 1,800 were mentally retarded.”

And sufferers were exceedingly grateful when a vaccine was developed in 1969…and yet… outcries from those who don’t know or remember have caused people to turn from vaccines and set the stage for another horrible outbreak like the one above.

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? (Jeremiah 8:22, NIV)

Prayer- Lord, show us our past so that it might be different from our present. Amen.