Monday, December 2, 2013

The Black Plague - Black Death

I was talking about the Gospel with someone yesterday, and was describing sin and how we, so often, do not see our own sin. Somehow, in my mind, I was making a connection to the wordless book, which is a book that tells the Gospel using colors. If you want to learn more about this, go to http://thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com One of the colors is black. In talking about the wordless book color, the colors black and white do not pertain to skin color or nationalities, so keep that in mind. The color black reminds us of sin, because sin is dark and harmful. I was making a connection between the Black death and our own sinful hearts which are darkened by sin. Just as the black plague brought physical death to multitudes, sin brings spiritual death to all of us. Anyway, the Black Plague struck Europe in the year 1347. !2 ships came into a port at Messina, and those waiting for the arrival of these ships were in for a big surprise, for when they arrived and were opened, many sailors were dead. Those who were still alive were very ill. They were delirious with fever and pain. They also had black boils all over their bodies which were oozing pus and blood. Immediately the Silician authorities sent the ships away, but it was too late for the disease had already entered Europe and over the next five years, 1/3 of Europe would be wiped out by this 'Black Plague'. http://www.history.com/topics/black-death