By Pastor Stephen Hess –
Over the past couple of weeks, our daily lives have been totally disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the activities we have taken for granted such as going to a restaurant, getting together with friends, or attending church are no longer possible. Meanwhile the virus continues to spread, leaving many people feeling uneasy, confused, and even fearful. How should Christians think through these troubling times in which we are living? Here are three things we should remember.
First, we should remember that what we are experiencing is not new. Although most of us have never been exposed to an epidemic of this magnitude, Christians have experienced many plagues and epidemics throughout church history. Whether it be the “Black Plague” of 1347 or the “Spanish Flu” of 1918, dangerous pandemics have always been a part of living in this broken world. To some, this may not provide much comfort, but it should at least help us to keep things in perspective. As shocking as these events might seem, they are storms that many other generations have passed through before us. There is a false version of Christianity that suggests we will never have to suffer if we follow Jesus. But Jesus himself said, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). Just as our forebearers in the faith were not exempt from the trials of this world, neither are we.
Second, we should remember that God is in control. Scripture makes clear that God is sovereign over everything that comes to pass and that not even a sparrow can fall to the ground without God’s permission (Matthew 10:29). This means that God is also sovereign over pandemics like the coronavirus. Even when this world seems out of control, God is firmly in control. If we truly believe this, we will respond in faith rather than fear. God is not only in control of all things, but he has a purpose in all things. What is his purpose in the coronavirus? We don’t know. But we do know that God often uses painful circumstances to humble us and remind us of our need for him. C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” The world is certainly waking up right now to our own human frailty and vulnerability, and this should cause us to turn toward our Maker.
Third, we should remember to stay faithful. Being faithful in this case means a couple of things. First it means being filled with faith rather than fear. If we know that God is sovereign over all things, then this should cause us to respond to calamities differently than the world around us. Instead of being ruled by anxiety we should be marked by the peace of Christ. Being faithful also means continuing to walk the path of discipleship in the midst of this storm. Some of our activities are limited during this period, but others are not. We can still read our Bibles and spend time in prayer, we can still worship together each week via live-stream, we can still gather online and study Scripture together, and we can still love our neighbors by helping those who are in need during this crisis. We can do all these things with a spirit of joy that comes from knowing Christ our Savior.
These words from theologian Al Mohler say it well: “We are witnessing at this very moment the humbling of a civilization that believed itself to be in control of the world—impervious to this kind of threat. Our ultimate refuge is only in the true and living God. We must remind ourselves of that now. We must pray fervently for God’s grace and mercy. And we must share that love with our neighbors and point them to Christ alone as our hope—even if we now share at some distance.”