Typhoid Mary

I guess by now everyone has heard about the H1N1 “Swine Flu”, and if you haven’t you need to get out from under the rock you’re living. Anyway, I pray you’re taking this illness seriously because you could be spreading it around without even knowing it. Everyone needs to be very hygiene conscience during this flu season, not only in an attempt to avoid contracting this stuff, but also, to help contain the spreading of germs. The very young and the older members of the human race are at high risk, so wash hands and disinfect commonly handled surfaces often. If you don’t feel well, stay home!
In the summer of 1906, New York banker, Charles Henry Warren rented a summer home on Long Island for a family vacation. On August 27th, one of the Warren daughters became ill, diagnosed, typhoid fever. Soon, Mrs. Warren and two maids became ill, followed by the gardener and another Warren daughter. In total, six of the eleven people in the house came down with typhoid fever. Commonly spread through water and/or food sources, the owners of the house feared they would not be able to rent the property again without first discovering the source of the outbreak. After several investigators had failed, the Thompson’s hired George Soper, a civil engineer with experience in typhoid fever outbreaks. To make a long story short, Soper discovered, a hired cook, Mary Mallon, history records her to be “Typhoid Mary”, had a trail of typhoid outbreaks following her from job to job as a cook. In the wake of her past seven jobs were 22 people infected with the fever, including one young girl who died. Avoiding authorities, insisting she had done nothing wrong, she was finally detained and isolated as a “healthy carrier” of the disease. After two years of isolation and court hearings, demanding her rights, maintaining she was being unfairly held against her will, Mary was released from custody on the promise she would not return to her former employment trade as a domestic cook. She did so promise, but not satisfied with the pay she was receiving as a housekeeper, Mary began cooking again. Five years after Mallon’s release, a hospital in Manhattan suffered a typhoid outbreak. Twenty-five people became ill, two of whom died. Soon, evidence pointed to a newly hired cook, Mrs. Brown, who turned out to be the infamous Mary Mallon. She was confined the rest of her life on North Brother Island, New York. It is known she worked in the hospital there, in a disease laboratory.
[Matthew 18: 1-7] Mary Mallon, aka; Mrs. Brown, knew the facts of her health problem, yet willingly caused pain and death to those around her. We are all spiritually contagious with sin. Our disobedience toward the will of God has made us a “healthy carrier” of eternal death. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Are you one who is knowingly going about through life, infecting others with thought, word and deed that is conflicting to God’s truths, bringing pain and death to those around you? Oh, they may also look as healthy as you, but spiritually, you’re both dead. The risk of death due to sinful infection can be avoided through washing and repentance. Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) And daily, we must help contain the spread of sin by doing the will of God. (1 John 1:5-10) Are you doing all you can to avoid eternal death? If you died this very day, are you sure you’ll go to heaven?