Samuel White III - Invictus: Overcoming the Coronavirus

Other Books by Dr. Samuel White, III

Healing Your Soul: Christian Self Care

Loving the Soul: How to Love

Caring for the Soul: Improving Your Life

Sex and the Soul: Overcoming Temptation

Hope for Your Soul: Words of Encouragement

The Forgiving Soul: How to Forgive Yourself, Others, and Life

It is Well with My Soul: Spiritual Care for the Dying

Aging Gracefully: Spiritual Care for Aging Adults

No More Tears: Comfort for the Grieving

My Brothers Keeper: Church Ministry for Young African American Males

The Capitalist Christian Contradiction: God Against Greed

Dying in Peace: Preparing for Eternity

Healing for the Holidays: God Heals the Bereaved

ALL BOOKS AVAILABLE ONLINE or

INVICTUS

Overcoming the Coronavirus

DR. SAMUEL WHITE, III

Copyright 2021 Dr. Samuel White, III.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by
any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from New Revised Standard Version
Bible, copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from Revised Standard Version of the Bible,
copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in
the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version. Copyright
1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2393-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2395-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2394-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021903267

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/18/2021

INVICTUS

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

- William Ernest Henley

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I want to give honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the incarnation of Invictus, of unconquerability. There was nothing or no one who could break His spirit. They harassed, persecuted, ridiculed, mocked, beat, spat, whipped, and crucified him and he remained invincible. Blood, sweat, and tears poured down his battered body and he remained unconquerable. From the cross Jesus spoke words of forgiveness, love, hope, fulfillment, and paradise. His head was bloodied but unbowed.

Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals his unconquerable soul that the devil and death could not destroy. It is because Jesus is undefeatable that For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. (I. John 5:4, NRSV)

I am thankful for my parents who demonstrated Invictus. They were victims of a racist society that constantly discriminated and dehumanized them, yet they worked hard, became successful, raised six children, and retired in peace and prosperity. Even as my father died of cancer and my mother endured physical ailments, they still had an unconquerable attitude. My parents were great examples to my brothers and sisters and I. They showed us not to back down to anyone or anything. I thank God for their triumphant spirit.

I am grateful for my wonderful wife whose unconquerable spirit has propelled her to the top of her profession. Moreover, she is instilling that same undefeatable spirit in our son, and daughter. She is amazing woman of God.

Thanks to my co-workers at PACE and all those health care heroes, essential workers, nurses, physicians, scientist, virologist, and persons on the frontline battling this pandemic, they are the real inspiration of this book. I am eternally grateful for all their hardwork and sacrifice.

Finally, I am thankful for the unconquerable spirit of the members of Friendship Baptist Church who still worship and serve the Lord. They have not let the nihilistic spirit of the coronavirus stop them from doing Gods will. A special thanks to my editor and friend Mrs. Elaine Rainey.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57, NRSV

CONTENTS

I had the privilege of serving as the Academic Dean of the Ecumenical Theological Seminary and hosting an online panel discussion called, Overcoming COVID 19 . The purpose of the virtual event was to provide Michiganders the medical, psychological, political, spiritual, and practical knowledge they need to overcome the coronavirus.

The State of Michigan had one of the highest rates of persons with the virus and the highest mortality rates of persons dying of COVID 19. This pandemic has exposed Detroits health care inequities and racial disparities. Blacks and marginalized people were dying of COVID 19 at an alarming rate.

The seminary had a moral mandate to convene a panel of experts and powerbrokers to address this deadly crisis. I invited Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist, physician Dr. Gwen Graddy, psychiatrist Dr. Vincent Gardner, Funeral Director Rev. David Aikens, and the President of ETS Rev. Dr. Ken Harris. Everyone shared their wisdom and knowledge on how to cope with the virus.

It was an excellent panel discussion with many viewers expressing their gratitude. We learned that the State of Michigan had programs, policies, and services to secure the publics health and welfare. Dr. Gwen Graddy explained the coronavirus and emphasized the importance of wearing a mask, washing your hands, and keeping social distancing. Dr. Vincent Gardner shared the need to care for our mental health. Rev. David Aikens talked about the difficulty of providing funerals for families. Lastly, Dr. Harris testified how he was able to survive COVID 19 and the untimely death of his beloved wife.

I was truly enriched by the discussion; however, it did not address the toxicity of the coronavirus, its impact on the soul and what we can do about it. In other words, how does a person protect their soul from fear, doubt, stress, anxiety, nihilism, narcissism, sadness, grief, loneliness, hopelessness, and multiple losses associated with the virus? We use the mask to protect our bodies, but what do we use to protect our soul?