A Christian Response to Coronavirus
Across the world concern about the spread and impact of Coronavirus is growing massively. In an age of sensationalism and fear, it’s being given a lot of airtime. Some of what we hear is factual, important and helpful – while some of what we hear is hearsay, exaggerated and unhelpful. A question on my heart - and I’m sure on many hearts - as we hear of more cases and tragic deaths in the UK, Europe and across the globe is ‘how as Christ-followers are we meant to respond?’
In the time we live it’s very easy to access a wide variety of thought and teaching on this question - again some helpful and biblically centred and some unhelpful and pointing us away from grounded biblical thinking. Although I’m not for one second claiming to be an expert, I have felt a growing pastoral burden to want to help the Saints’ approach this in a godly manner that allows our salt and light to be distinct in East Kent. How should we approach things, how do we engage with those around us and how should we view our gatherings both mid-week and Sunday meetings? Here are three key responses I want to highlight:
1. Courageous
Many of us are reading, listening and watching news reports around what’s happening with the Coronavirus and can’t help but feel unsettled and fearful by what we hear. We have been trained by our culture in these moments to respond with the Darwinian mindset of ‘survival of the fittest’ as has been modelled by people fighting in supermarkets over toilet roll, which creates a snowball effect of increased fear and panic. Seeing empty shelves in supermarkets and hearing stories of suspected outbreaks near where we live can lead to us beginning to allow fear to drive our thinking and shape our decision making.
My first exhortation to us is that as believers scripture tells us we haven’t been given a spirit of fear but of power (2 Tim 1:7). That means we can be those who face this with courage, not allowing fear to cause us to shrink back - but faith that causes us to stand firm and stand out. I’ll unpack how we balance faith and wisdom in a bit but I believe that a key way in which we model courage in this time is by declaring and living out our confidence in Christ. We follow health guidelines around how to protect ourselves, but our hope ultimately isn’t in the expert’s advice, our own cleanliness or even our health. It is found in Jesus Christ. In this time of fear and uncertainty, we can courageously point people to the one who brings comfort, peace and contentment to the those that are fearful, isolated & sick. In our words and actions we can help bring the hope of eternity into our today, we can bring light into people’s darkness and joy into people’s pain. Let’s seek to use these uncertain times to point our friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to the unchanging, all powerful, sovereign and merciful God.
2. Considered
Some hear my first point and immediately jump to the wrong conclusion that a call to courageous living means ignoring all advice, stubbornly carrying on as normal and refusing to take steps to protect yourself and others - that is not the point I’m trying to make. Alongside courage, the second characteristic is to be a considered people. The World Health Organisation have declared this to be a global pandemic, sport events across the globe are being held behind closed doors, postponed or cancelled, people are being told to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone with the virus or they are showing symptoms. This is a serious challenge and as Christians we are called to be those that live sober minded lives, meaning that we are composed in our thinking and take serious things seriously. The scripture I quoted earlier also tells us we’ve been given a Spirit of self-control, which means we are a people that can live considered lives, thinking about the risks and consequences to our actions and responding accordingly. This is talking about all areas of life, and so we can take this approach with Coronavirus - what is a self-controlled and considered response that is still full of faith?
We have already stepped into this as a church by changing how we share communion, moving away from sharing cups to having individual cups. This was because we are convinced the Lord’s table is a key ingredient in the life of God’s gathered people, but we could take steps to lower the risks involved. I came across an idea to use the extra time washing my hands (health advice is 20 seconds) to pray the Lord’s prayer, to help me focus in on Christ and not my fears. Let me encourage us to be doing the same in our daily lives, follow the health advice that has been given out, be wise in how you live but do it through the lens of faith not fear. As an eldership and staff team we are continually considering what the right response is as things progress over the coming days.
3. Compassionate
The final response is that of compassion. Those that are most at risk because of the coronavirus are the elderly and the sick. This has caused many to respond in a somewhat flippant way if they don’t fall into either category. As Christians we are called to love our neighbours as ourselves and to demonstrate the love of God to the World around us. Again, looking at the 1 Timothy verse we see we’ve been given a spirit of love. We must take the care of the vulnerable in our society seriously, seeking to love, care and protect those that are most in need of it. Whether you are concerned for yourself or not isn’t my biggest concern, whether you are concerned for those that are most at risk is. Seek to do all you can to help others, put their needs above your own and let’s use this moment of challenge to preach the good news of Christ. That we have a God who went out of his way to help and save the most vulnerable, you and I who were trapped and helpless in our sin, now know life and freedom because of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. He has empowered us by his Sprit to not just get through this life, but to thrive in this life, and our response in this time can communicate that to the world around us. What a privilege and responsibility we have been given.
Matthew 25:40 “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me.”
May each of us be a people of courage, consideration and compassion that brings glory to God and brings good to our Church, our neighbours and all we come into contact with.
