PERSONAL
RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS
COVID-19
has certainly swept the world by storm and, for many, by surprise. To hold the
perspective from a biblical worldview, believers have a responsibility in every
situation. That does not mean that there is only one correct opinion or even
that everyone should have the same response. It does, however, mean that the
church should think about cultural issues in the framework of the gospel. The
purpose of my message today is to present a both personal and (what I believe
to be) gospel-centered response to the COVID-19 situation.
How
are we to react to the situation? What are we to do? Should we worry or fear?
These are questions I hope to answer in this message; furthermore, I also hope
to be a conduit of peace rather than worry. As a disclaimer, what I will
present here is a matter of opinion so do not judge it as fact; it is not. Heed
the warnings here; listen carefully; and use wisdom in your own response.
Do
Not Worry
First,
my advice is not to worry. Astonishing to me is Christians who worry and do not
see a problem with it. Numerous times in the Bible, believers are told not to
worry. It is a command and, therefore, a sin to worry. Even that statement
shocks some people because to many, it is not thought of as sin; yet, when
Jesus himself commands his people not to fear, it should be assumed that to do
the opposite is disobedience and, therefore, sin. Fear is wrong because the
only one Christians are told to fear in the Bible is God himself; that is
because God is the only being worthy of fear. To fear anything else is to falsely
place that person or object higher than God in both worth and power. Therefore,
even during COVID-19, Christians should not fear either the virus or the
results. God’s people persevere and win the battle ultimately; the church is
assured of this.
Stories
of stores running out of supplies have circulated the web consistently over the
past couple of weeks; that will likely continue because people tend to act
irrationally during a crisis. Remaining calm, however, is seemingly contagious.
Imagine if the church was seen to be the calmest group of people on the planet
during a time like this. Perhaps, a dying world would look to the people of God
and, thus, to God himself for answers instead of humanmade devices. First then,
the church’s response to COVID-19 should be calm rather than worry. Believers should
take that to heart and allow it to impact the way they live their lives, which
means not only claiming a lack of worry but truly revealing it in action. Many
Christians claim not to worry (because deep down they know it is wrong) but
show the opposite in action. During this time, do not worry because it is sin;
do not worry because the church of God is a light in a dark world.
Do Not
Trust the Government or So-Called Expert Opinions: They Are Equally as Flawed
as Anyone Else’s
Second,
my advice is to not trust the government or so-called experts because they are
equally as flawed as anyone else’s. Personally, I have heard numerous doctors’
opinions on the matter over the past couple of weeks and many of them
contrasting one another. The government offers the same kind of discrepancies.
Moreover, on a personal note, I believe firmly that governments do not look out
for the good of their people, as much as they may claim to do so. Many have
called me a conspiracy theorist. That is fine; I am and for good reason. I do
not profess the COVID-19 situation to be a conspiracy; nonetheless, it should
not surprise anyone if much of what is being portrayed is false. Media outlets,
likewise, are linked strongly to government corruption. Thus, it is nearly
impossible to rely on truthful information from the government or media
outlets; yet, this is commonly the most visible information given to society.
Consider
the conflicting reports that have surfaced since the outbreak of COVID-19. It
is not serious; it is serious; it is not serious again; oh, now it is
incredibly serious. I believe there is a middle ground that is rarely
mentioned. COVID-19 is serious in that it is highly contagious. Numerical
reports on cases and deaths, however, are vastly disparate from what is being
shown so the virus’ mortality rate is likely not as high as being portrayed.
Consider
the issue of climate change (or what used to be called global warming). What
most governments around the world want people to believe is its serious impact
and that it is caused by humans. Legitimate scientists are often referenced in
this argument; yet, there are many legitimate scientists and climatologists who
boldly confess that climate change is not real and certainly not caused by
humans; these scientists, however, are rarely mentioned by governments or media
outlets. In fact, the message often seems to be that climate change is 100% proven
as fact when such a statement is a complete lie. Why would a similar lie not
occur with COVID-19? One may ask why the government or media outlets would lie
about COVID-19. There could be many reasons such as government control,
financial collapse, elections, etc.; we may only speculate at best so I will
not do so here. All of this is to say that trusting the government would be a
large mistake right now, as it usually is. Human nature is to seek power by any
means necessary; that is exactly what governments around the globe throughout
history have done and will continue to do.
Exercise
Common Sense
My
third piece of advice is to use common sense. It is often said that common
sense is not so common anymore, although I would argue that it truly never has
been common. Common sense infers a logical progression to making decisions,
i.e. the decisions made are sensible and do not harm oneself or others. Certainly,
I would argue that, with the high rate of contagion given to COVID-19, self-quarantine
is a good and sensible decision. I do not believe (yet) that it should be
government mandated. In fact, I would say that such an action is blatantly
unconstitutional. Many would argue that it is for society’s best interest so it
is okay to be unconstitutional in a time like this, as happened so often after
9/11; nevertheless, a free people should not abandon God-given rights for any
reason no matter how extreme the situation because once those rights are taken,
it is incredibly difficult to recover them.
Common
sense right now would be to self-quarantine and heed the prevailing warnings,
especially if it does not hurt you personally. I work a job that is slammed
with work right now and is necessary for society to continue so my common sense
is to continue meeting the needs of people in a time like this. Many others,
however, can work from home. Even if it is highly unlikely that anything significant
will happen to someone should they contract the virus, there is no shame in
being on the safe side and distancing oneself socially.
How
is this reconciled with a lack of trust in the government and media outlets?
The message presented right now by both is the necessity of social distancing.
The answer is simple: if we are going to err, it is better to err on the side
of caution if it does not impact your rights and well-being. I certainly
believe we will look back on this and realize how ridiculously overboard we
went in completely wrecking society and the economy. My opinion could change; I
do not, however, think it will. Still, we should be as cautious as possible to
say that we did everything we could do. Common sense says this so we should do
it.
Use
This Time to Glorify God and Show a Hopeless World that Purpose above All Else
Finally,
I would advise Christians to use this time to glorify God and show a hopeless
world that governing purpose (namely God’s glory) above all else. Many churches
are canceling face to face corporate worship gatherings, which is
understandable. I am mixed on those decisions but lean toward it being correct
right now, although I would certainly not fault a church that decided to
continue meeting. Many Christians criticize those that continue meeting, as
those that continue meeting criticize those who do not. Let us not get caught in
the trap of blaming each other and being unnecessarily critical during this
time. If God’s people want to meet, let them meet. It would not be the first
time in history that churches met during a pandemic, most of them far worse
than this. In fact, what continuing to meet reveals to the world is that a
local church places the highest priority on worshiping God together. Weekly corporate
worship gatherings have been the norm since the early church. While God is not
constrained to buildings, worship is the single most important task given to
the church and worship gatherings the most important act Christians do each
week.
I
have personally seen non-believing and atheist friends claim that this time is
proving that the church is not necessary. I see their perspective when many
believers willingly choose to forsake being together for worship. What is not
realized in these statements, however, is the capacity for good employed by
technology. Many churches are being creative and utilizing other resources to
worship. It is virtually impossible to gain the same experience in a digital worship
gathering; yet, it is an option right now and one that could help society.
Perhaps, it is better than nothing; perhaps, it is not. It is an exercise of
common sense and grace and yet one that also shows a hopeless world that God is
still the most important aspect of the Christian life and the only hope for a
hopeless world.
Display
the Peace of Christ
This is a time
not to despair but to hope. I have personally observed Christians in hysteria
during this time when truly the church should be the calmest people in the
world. Christians literally have nothing about which to worry. Let us then be a
people who reveal the peace of Christ rather than the lies of the enemy. Err on
the side of caution; most of all, however, err on the side of gospel hope,
which lies only in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This is not a time to
worry. This is a time to trust the God who is still in control in a world that
thinks it has lost control when it truly never had it. What seems to be illogical
to the world then is the most logical action to employ: trust God without fear
but fear only him.
