Chip and Mark
“Hey Babe, you’re back! So was it as bad as you thought?”
“Look, I wasn’t nervous about a shot! I was just mad that they want to force me to get it… and no, I didn’t… I mean, I haven’t…”
“What? You backed out? Seriously! Did you even go!? Where have you been all this time!”
“Look honey… Umm. Sit down with me, will you? I’m still processing this thing. It was… different. I wasn’t expecting... I… give me a minute to collect my thoughts, okay?”
Mark sat down on the couch and patted the place next to him, imploring with his eyes for Sophia to join him. He was gone for so long, she had just assumed he needed time to build up the nerve to get the shot, but now she realized he must have been working up how to talk with her about this… whatever this was.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, much more calmly than she felt. She snuggled next to him, wrapped his arm across her torso and leaned in with her back towards him. He sighed. It have might have been with whatever he was going to tell her, but she suspected it was just the relief that he didn’t need to look her in the eyes while he talked.
“I drove straight there, every bit as worked up as when I left here… maybe more so. But I had resigned myself to the fact that I won’t be able to get through the door to work next Monday without a certification that I got the vaccine. I expected a line, but there were even more people there than just ACME, Inc. I mean, I saw a lot of people I work with there, but the crowd had to be more than just our organization. Of course they wanted us to social distance, but when I saw Joe, we decided to just in stand in line together, complaining about having to get this thing.
“Joe was going on about how the flu shot has been around for decades and how it’s only effective about 40% of the time, and how some percentage of people have a negative reaction to the shot and how some percentage of those people actually have long-tern issues, and how this was developed so quickly that they don’t even know the long-term effects of this, and… well, you know Joe. I only remember the ‘40%’ because I was amazed it didn’t even work the majority of the time.”
Sophia almost interrupted him but thought better of it and just pulled his arm around her tighter. Mark obviously was concerned about something and hadn’t worked it all out in his head yet.
“So anyways… we get up there and they give us some paperwork, and Joe points out everything in the liability waiver that he was explaining to me in line about the risks of any vaccine and the added risk from how this was developed through accelerated clinical trials and unknown possible long-term effects and all that stuff when I get to the last form acknowledging my assent to be certified as vaccinated and some verbiage about taking control of my own identity and all the benefits of the certification.
“Meanwhile, I’m talking to Joe, who had already handed in his paperwork and sat down in the chair to get his shot, when I notice two shot guns. One goes into his shoulder and the other into his forearm… or maybe it was his hand. I’m not really sure exactly.”
Mark continued, “I was confused so I asked the nurse: ’Why two shots? I thought we were only getting one vaccine.’ I was wondering if they were experimenting on us like they did when I was in the Army. Everyone got the flu shot and half of us got sick with the flu right after getting the shot. But that’s when the nurse smiles at me and says: ‘That’s right, only one shot per customer! This is the Certification Mark that verifies you’re contributing to a disease-free society.’
“Joe hopped out the chair and said: ‘You’re next, Mark!’ then he looked at me and rubbing his hand lightly, he commented, ‘You know, I was wondering how that chip would feel, but with the gun it went in pretty smoothly. I was talking with some folks in IT Security and they were saying how this was going to change the way we log in and even get rid of the security badges whenever we finally do get back to meeting face-to-face.’”
Sophia sat up and turned to look at Mark.
“Wait a second. The vaccine is for security badges? That just doesn’t make sense!” Sophia looked quizzically at Mark.
“No, honey. The vaccine was the first shot. The second shot in the forearm is what Joe was talking about. It’s some ID that is embedded underneath the skin, and this is how they certify you’ve been vaccinated. Joe was going on and on about all the practical ways that this would make our lives more convenient: no more memorizing passwords, no more security badges, keyless ID for cars, no more identity theft, no more carrying multiple credit cards… and that’s when I stopped him. I had started thinking that maybe this wasn’t so bad after all and it would be pretty convenient even if it did cost me a little more privacy, but he said credit cards, and I asked him: ‘So is this chip used for making purchases?’
“The nurse jumped in at that point and said, ‘Sir, we have had some people express concerns about that and in our training they told us to let you know this is simply being administered to certify vaccination records. It may be extended for all your electronic medical records, but that depends upon your physician’s ERMS record keeping capabilities. We are only certifying vaccination records at this time.’
“’Of course it can be used for buying things, Mark!’ Joe piped in, ‘Didn’t you hear what I just said? This ID is going to change everything. Maam, now that I’m vaccinated, can I take my mask off?’
“’Not for another 24 hours, sir. If you have further questions, there’s a number on the bottom of… Let’s see… yes, here it is. Just call that toll-free number here or use the online chat here. Anymore, I prefer the chat. Those voicemail systems can be so slow!’ Joe was agreeing with her, and as they both started complaining about automated voice systems, I picked up my paperwork and walked out! You understand why, right?”
“I’m not sure, but… well, I know what you think this is, but it can’t be, Mark! That happens after the Rapture!”
“That’s what is bothering me.” Said Mark “I mean we’re not supposed to be here… for this… you know, the Mark of the Beast! This is all so surreal, and I’m wondering if… well, I was wondering. I didn’t come home right away…”
“I understand that now. Are you okay, honey?” Sophia wanted to snuggle back into Mark’s body, but she needed to see him as he spoke.
“I’m… I’m working through this. So, I’m not saying that I don’t believe in the Rapture. Scripture is pretty clear about that. But I found some blogs that talk about the Rapture happening somewhere in the middle of the Tribulation and others saying it happens at the end. I also found some that say it is a myth, but I know otherwise. I don’t know what to believe, honey, and right now I want to NOT believe any of this. Do you remember that Sunday School class we had? I don’t remember what the Greek word was for the Mark of the Beast was, but I do remember what it meant: ‘an etching or piearcing’. That’s what this chip thing is. It pierces the skin and embeds it under the surface.”
“Mark, what are we going to do?” She said, sliding back into him. “I think you’re right, but what does that mean? You can’t go into work next Monday without that, can you?”
“No, honey, I can’t. But I can’t face God if I accept it, and it’s what we think it is.”
They both sat there in silence for a few minutes before Mark asked, “Should we reach out to people in our Life Group? Maybe Pastor Mike? Am I over-thinking this?”
“Maybe, baby. But do you think we should pray first?”
Mark smiled and drew his wife in closer, tighter than maybe ever before, tears welling up in his eyes. “Good idea.” He replied and started praying: “Jesus you tell us in James to pray for wisdom and not to doubt that You will give it. Well, we’re praying for wisdom now. We need You, Lord, like never before! Give us wisdom…” And the prayer continued, both of them praying together, knowing that when they finished, they’d start sending some texts and making some calls.
If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea.James 1:5-6
