In case you missed it this morning, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN that the COVID-19 curve is bending in his state. That is to say: Even if deaths are going up for the time being, the spread of the virus appears to be slowing down. That’s a good sign — at least a silver lining in a very dark cloud.

But along the way, he noted who’s responsible for that bending:

… Our behavior has stopped the spread of the virus. God did not stop the spread of the virus. And what we do, how we act, will dictate how that virus spreads.

He’s right. On both counts.

He wasn’t being anti-religious in any way, either. Cuomo is famously Catholic even if his politics don’t fall in line with the Catholic Church. (In other words, he’s just like most Catholics.)

His point is that our actions — self-quarantining, social distancing, limiting contact as much as possible — are going a long way toward stopping the spread of COVID-19. Going to church, as some pastors have irresponsibly suggested, will only make things worse. Prayer is fine if it comforts you, but it’s not going to change how the virus operates. We have the ability to fight this virus, and God isn’t going to override our decisions.

I know it’s hard for a lot of people, including New Yorkers, to see Cuomo as the voice of reason in any situation, but damn, it’s refreshing to hear a politician talk sense like this.

