Purell, germaphobia, and fear

I am a self-diagnosed germaphobe. Am I one of those crazy I-MUST-WASH-MY-HANDS-RIGHT-NOW sort of germaphobes? No, but I do like to be clean and to have a clean living area (just ask my roommate!). We clean every other week—dusting, washing the shower, sink, toilet, and floors, and vacuuming… Boy, I’m not helping my case am I? Do I mind getting dirt on my hands (ahem, geology major)? No, as long as I can wash them once I’m done.

But I’m not going to lie, after I play the piano in either one of the practice rooms or in my piano class, I lunge for my bottle of Purell. I can’t stand the thought of all of the people who came before me and touched that piano after sneezing in their hands or wiping their nose! I don’t want that on my hands! Yuck!! And I don’t want to run to the bathroom because I have other things that I’m running off to do.

Purell definitely advertises directly to people like me. It's fast, easy, and one squirt kills more germs than two suirts of any other national brand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJxJyntEHiw&safe=active)

 In their newest commercial, Purell features happy, smiling kids laughing and playing with each other while a motherly voice croons in the background, “Sharing is a beautiful thing *cue sneeze into hands*… most of the time. That’s why there’s new Purell Advanced hand sanitizer! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJxJyntEHiw&safe=active )” The commercial then proceeds to have child actors smile and play while a children’s choir sings in the background, “Don’t worry, be happy!”

The commercial plays on our fears of the sickness, pain, and discomfort that a cold/germs cause. We want to live our lives like the children in the commercial—happy, laughing, smiling, the picture of perfect health. And it’s so convenient to do so! All it takes is one pump of Purell hand sanitizer, 3 seconds to rub it in as we power walk to our next class or business meeting, and vwala! clean, germ-free hands!

We the people, as a society, are constantly on the run. Who has the time to run to the bathroom, suds our hands in warm water, and sing “Happy Birthday” (a song that lasts a good 20 seconds if sung at the correct tempo) in order to supposedly get the same results as a 3 second Purell scrub? The advertisers know that we have fast-paced lives and that we hate feeling any inconvenience, pain, or sickness. Who has time to stop or slow down their life for a cold when there’s a test to study for or a big company presentation? A cold is uncomfortable, annoying, and tiring.

But after our bodies fight off a cold, we’re better off because our immune systems are stronger. Why then do we fear sickness? We fear what it brings—discomfort, inconvenience, even death in some cases.

I have a question to pose: why do we, as adults, not seem to trust? We’re scared of every little thing that could go wrong. This attitude of our culture rubs off on us as Christians. It makes it hard for us to trust God, to give Him everything, our health included.  As a Christian I know I’ve been commanded to “… fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to [my] body and nourishment to [my] bones (Proverbs 3: 7b-8).” God will use everything, sickness and pain included, for good. Fearing Him (not the oh my gosh, God’s-going-to-send-me-to-hell kind of fear, but revering God, being awe-struck by Him) brings us health.

It might not be physical health in the body, but spiritual health. Ever thought of that? Later on in Proverbs 18:14, we are told that “A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” This must refer to spiritual health, a deep trust in God that surpasses physical health. Next time we panic about our physical health, we can remember this; our fears can be washed away. He's carrying us through every circumstance. Trust Him to take care of you.