by Mike James

In mid-August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox an international health emergency once again. You may remember a similar declaration two years ago.

The warning comes after Africa recorded over 15,000 cases and 537 deaths thus far this year. The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered more than anywhere else, but other countries suffering for the first time include Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.

A new form of the virus known as clade 1b is resulting in more deaths than the form of the virus that struck two years ago. The new form of the disease is caused by sexual contact and other close contact—like among children in displacement camps.

Most infections are not life-threatening, but people with weakened immune systems can be more susceptible to death. Therefore, children and HIV-infected people are more susceptible to negative outcomes.

The "M" in Mpox stands for monkey because the virus was first found in a monkey. But rodents in Africa seem to be the origin of the virus. The disease can lead to flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.

Once again, the outbreak two years ago was primarily due to sex practices that go against God's ordained use of sex in marriage. Homosexual sex was a primary means of infection two years ago and today. If we all followed Leviticus 18, we would cut down on a lot of issues humans that do not observe God's law deal with

The new wrinkle with this latest outbreak has to do with the proximity of infected children with other children in displacement camps. Again, if we were to follow the principles laid out in Leviticus 14, we would be much better off.

So many of the problems in the world today are self-induced. In other words, we have the problems because of our own ignorance, negligence, and failure to follow God's law.

Some Christians today love to argue that all we need to do now is love God and love our neighbor (Mark 12:30–31; Matthew 22:36–40). But if you think that, let me ask you, what is LOVE? Well, God is Love (1 John 4:8), and His character is spelled out in His Old Testament law. Love is doing something, and the law details what we need to do.

Think about it, how do you love your neighbor? Well, in Leviticus 18 we learn that we should not have sex outside of marriage. But why? It may feel good in the moment, but if you have sex with a family member, don't you think that it is going to psychologically impact you and others later? If you have sex outside your marriage, don't you think you might catch a disease and then infect your marriage partner?

How about staying home when you are sick? Do you want others to catch whatever you have?

But the law is not just about physical blessings; it also blesses us spiritually. Some argue, "What does it matter which day of the week I rest as long as I rest?" Among the many blessings of the Sabbath, one we don't often hear is the blessing in the obedience to one who is greater than you. Submitting to His will helps you learn humility and self-control. It helps you understand your role and your place, which is nothing in comparison to God. Submitting to the day He decides for rest blesses us in having the humility to be filled with Him rather than being full of ourselves.

We don't keep the law to save ourselves. We keep the law to be at one with the Mind that created the law. Because the law is Him. Two cannot walk together unless they be agreed (Amos 3:3). When you meditate on the laws of God and understand the true intent of all of them you will find they all connect back to who and what God is, which is Love. Why would we not want to be at one with that?

Sources: "Mpox Declared a Global Public Health Emergency by the WHO. As New, Deadlier Strain Spreads in Africa, Here's What to Know," by Natalie Rahhal, August 14, 2024, Yahoo News, https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/mpox-declared-a-global-public-health-emergency-by-the-who-as-new-deadlier-strain-spreads-in-africa-heres-what-to-know/ar-AA1oO6e9

"Explainer – Why is Mpox an Emergency Again, and How Worried Should I Be," by Jennifer Rigby, August 15, 2024, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/why-is-mpox-an-emergency-again-how-worried-should-i-be-2024-08-15/

"Mpox Again a Global Danger as New Form Rapidly Spreads," by Fenit Nirappil and Rachel Chason, The Washington Post, August 15, 2024

"What You Need to Know About Monkeypox," by Lindsay Smith Rogers, May 23, 2022, Johns Hopkins, https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/what-you-need-to-know-about-monkeypox#:~:text=Well%2C%20first%20of%20all%2C%20monkeypox,in%20Central%20and%20West%20Africa.