Reggie thinks the coronavirus is God's way of shaking the tree

Reggie Jackson has sent a text message to the people of Earth, urging us to slow down and contemplate God's wisdom - and perhaps His wrath. It pops out of a recent YES Network interview, where Reggie was compelled to read his missive aloud. Texted Mr. October of the virus: 

“Hopefully this slows us down a little bit and relationships with family and friends and God are our priority while we’re here on Earth. Let us heed of this notice so that he doesn’t have to shake the trees a little bit harder the next time he wants us to realize that we might be a little bit off track."

So, if I'm getting this right, God is - (looks around) - shaking the tree? What does that mean? Is God pruning the overripe fruits of humanity? Is that what we see in the daily death toll? Humanity went off track, and thus He is systematically culling the herd? That seems a bit - well - harsh, am I right?

I don't want to pick over some old guy's words for the sake of an argument. And I think Reggie's heart is in the right place, as he continues: 

“I just kind of want to say, are we grateful for our jobs? Are we grateful for our friends and family? Do we spend enough time with our kids? Do we thank our wife for a great day? These are the things that I think about. These are the things I want to see us take notice. Are we running past the people who need help while everyone’s got a job? Look how many people now are struggling already with just 30 days of no work, three weeks of no work. Let’s be conscious of others, be conscious of who are as a nation, as a group, and certainly as a Yankee fans are certainly part of that. That’s what my concern is, the people where our home is in the Bronx.”

Reggie is right to express such sentiments, and I only wish him the best. To the day I die, I'll cherish the memory of that monstrous drive landing in the centerfield bleachers, while Charlie Hough hangs his head and contemplates eternity. That night, the juju gods were kind to him. Or maybe he was simply a great hitter. 

These days, it's nice to see him pondering the plight of regular people. 
But probably no player in baseball history had a larger ego than Reggie Jackson. He inhabited a world that revolved around him. Maybe it still does. I'm not attacking him... just sayin'. Reggie is now 73 - a tribal elder, with the right to his opinions. He's also a high-risk candidate to fall from a shaken tree. My biggest hope is that he stays safe, practices social distancing, and lives to be 103. 

But I do not believe God is now confiscating souls because we weren't praising Him enough. A little buzzer goes off when I hear people describing God's will. I believe our fate is in our hands, not His.

Hang in there, old friend. See you at Old-Timers Day. And wash your hands.