During the last few weeks, the threat of the novel coronavirus has gone from something foreign and unknown to something that we’re dealing with close to home. Schools have been moved online, ESPN has been showing the national rock-skipping championship because all the other sports are cancelled. People are being asked to stay home in some places. In other places they are being told.
As Christians, how are we to respond to all of this? We hear reports of people panicking and hoarding basic toiletries on the one hand. On the other, some people say this is something only old, sick people have to worry about, so they’re not going to be too concerned or change what they are doing.
Neither response is appropriate for those who follow Jesus.
Our calling is to trust in the Lord Jesus who has defeated death by His death, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
When any kind of disaster strikes, we should remember that these are not random acts of nature, but acts of God (as even insurance companies acknowledge). For example, in 2 Samuel 24, when King David sinfully took a census of the people, the LORD sent a plague that killed seventy thousand people. David’s response was to pray “Let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.” (2 Sam 24:14).
God works through His Word and in the world to call us to repentance, to teach us to cling to Him for our salvation, to remind us that we depend on Him for our body, and soul, our possessions, and all we have, and to renew our love for our neighbors. We repent of our sin that still brings death into the world: our forgetfulness of God, our habit of damning with God’s name rather than praying or blessing, our neglect of God’s house and His Word, the way we all forget our families and parents like we’re stuck in a Harry Chapin song, our murderous thoughts and words, our lustful and adulterous ways, our greed for gain that is never satisfied, and so much else. Repent and hide in the blessed wounds of Christ, be washed clean and made white in His precious blood, and learn to live in His patience, His humbleness, His love.
Our life may be demanded from us any hour of any day. We like to hide that truth from ourselves. A pandemic quickly spreading through nations pulls that truth into the light of day. Now is as good a time as any to prepare to meet Your God. Examine your heart. Are you ready to see Jesus sitting on His judgment throne? Confess your transgressions unto the LORD that He may forgive the iniquity of your sin. Seek Him while there is time yet to find Him, for in the flood of great waters we shall not draw near to Him (Psalm 32:5-6). If sin burdens your conscience, I am available to hear the confession of your sins and assure you of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation that our Savior won for you by His suffering and death and His precious blood.
We also make ourselves ready by reconciling with anyone we have sinned against, or anyone who has sinned against us. We have no promise that we will get another day to do it. We would do well to make sure our earthly affairs are in order, so that we can provide for the ongoing needs of the people the LORD has placed into our care even after our lives are ended.
If we do fall sick, it gives us a chance to suffer with our LORD, and to show our faith and confidence in His resurrection and the promise of everlasting life.
With all of that taken care of, while God still grants us our breath, we still must live in the world He has made and still upholds. And in this life, our calling is to serve our neighbor. The Fifth Commandment calls us to help and support out neighbor in every physical need. Right now, we serve our neighbor best by following the advice and directives of the leaders God has given to us in our government and our communities (and by so doing, we also follow the Fourth Commandment). We wash our hands, and do all that we can to avoid spreading disease. We do this not out of fear for our own lives, but out of love for our neighbor: for the elderly, and those whose bodies are already compromised by other diseases and underlying conditions. The elderly and those with compromised immune systems show responsibility by following doctor’s orders.
In practical day-to-day things you can do, make a list of everyone you know who may need extra help if things get worse. Give them a call, let them know you’re thinking about them. Ask them if they need help getting medicine and groceries. Share the hope of Christ that you have within you. Pray that our Lord would forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in His will and walk in His ways to the glory of His holy name.
And in all things, pray that we fall into the hands of the Lord, hands marked by the wounds of His love for the whole world, His everlasting love for each of you.
In the peace of Christ, Pastor Sherman