Pandemic, Coping With It

This is not the time or place to rehearse the life-changing and, in some cases, devastating effects COVID-19 has been having on people’s lives near and far—in our families, churches, communities, workplaces, and neighbors around the nation and world. But how do Christians cope with this pandemic? Here is some food for thought.

A Time to Repent

The Christian life is one of daily repentance. The baptized are called to die with Christ in order to be raised with him to new life. This is especially true in the season of Lent. When we hear of and see great numbers of people suffering and dying around us, the primary response is grief. Grief is our form of death at this time. It is deep contrition over the inescapable and universal reality that, as heirs of Adam, we are dust and to dust we shall return. Pandemics increase exponentially our awareness of this tragic state of affairs. Repentance calls us not to avoid this reality, but make room for grieving it. This is not fatalism which panics, despairs, and gives up at the sight of death. Christians grieve, but not without hope. Lent points us to Easter, death to resurrection. As heirs of God’s promises of new life in Christ, the last Adam, we are called even in the worst times to hope in God’s deliverance from the power of sin and death. This hope against all hope is a bold confidence in God’s promises, and it is most needed at a time when tragic news fills the air and tragedy itself threatens to squelch our spirits. In these painful times, set time aside for confession and absolution, for contrition and forgiveness, for sorrow in view of hope.

A Time for Vigilance

The Christian life is not an easy one. It is a perilous journey in the desert, in the wilderness, where the devil attacks and tempts God’s children. Times of crisis especially make us aware of our vulnerabilities to such assaults. So we must be vigilant, watchful. Temptations can make the fatalist, who despairs over tragedy, doubt God’s promises of protection, provision, and life. But the enemy can just as easily tempt the perfectionist, who is overly confident in his own health, resources, and power, to ignore or minimize the present trial. Bold confidence in God’s promises is about faith in Christ and his words of life. It is not the same as a triumphalistic view of things, which in the name of self-confidence makes light of or flirts with danger. In these times of temptation, however, Christians are also reminded that the wilderness is the place of God’s presence, the place of testing where he refines us to be resilient and stand firm in his promises when times are tough. We are in the desert, but not alone. God’s Spirit accompanies and leads us. This is the time to be neither a spiritual Debbie-Downer nor a spiritual Super-Man. It is a time for seeing God alone as our oasis in the desert, to grow in our dependence on his mercies through prayer and the Word. In these times of temptation and testing, set time aside to call upon the Spirit in prayer for protection from all assaults of the devil and for guidance and strength in the Word.

A Time for Sacrifice

The Christian life is one of conformity to Christ in his sacrifice, in his self-giving to others even unto death. Times of suffering put into question the popular notion that being a Christian is about being happy and prosperous. It is really about joyfully sacrificing for others. In unprecedented times, sacrifice may take different forms. Some serve ailing patients in the front lines, at times at the risk of their own personal health. Many are learning that, in times of pandemics, sacrifice, oddly enough, can also mean staying home and keeping a safe distance from neighbors so as not to put them in harm’s way. This is not the time to claim some individualistic version of freedom without concern for others, but rather a time to learn anew that Christian freedom is ultimately freedom for the sake of others. In times of crisis, we die to self in order to make room for the neediest neighbors in our midst. We learn to put on the form of the servant, and put ahead the interests of others before ours. But let us also remember that pandemics make us all vulnerable, not only physically, but also emotionally and spirituality. For this reason, it is honest to think of ourselves as a communion of both givers and receivers of divine generosity. Through our unity in Christ, we are in communion with one another and thus share each other’s burdens and joys. What joys can you share with others at this time? Perhaps it is the joy of having meals together as a family. Perhaps it is the joy of making meals available to an elderly member of the congregation. What burdens can others help you go through nowadays? Perhaps a phone call to check in on you, to help you deal with the anxiety of family members traveling or not yet reunited. Or maybe a word of encouragement from people who know how hard you are working to continue to care for people in new ways, even if mostly online. In times of isolation, finding ways of sharing life together with patience and grace is more important than ever.

A Time for Hospitality

The Christian life is one of welcoming strangers into our lives, even when the welcome is not physically possible. Pandemics make us painfully aware of large numbers of suffering neighbors we never heard about. Hearing of many lives lost in places that seem so far away, like China and Italy, we suddenly realize how much we share with these strangers. At times like these, we put a human face on strangers, especially those who are most vulnerable to the virus. We think of the elderly, the homeless, refugees and asylum seekers, the poor, and now also record numbers of underemployed and unemployed neighbors. What can the church do to practice and embody hospitality toward strangers at this time? Some are ordering in from restaurants, giving baristas additional tips, sending donations to relief and humanitarian agencies. In times of financial distress and economic uncertainty and fear, the default mode is to play it safe and focus on those closest to us. This makes sense and is prudent, and yet the church is also called to exercise a hospitable disposition toward those who are not as close to us, but still require our prayers and love. In these inhospitable times, let us not give up on extending our love for our closest neighbors beyond the confines of the familiar.

A Time for Devotion

The Christian life is one of devotion to God in good and bad times. We were created to embody devotion to our Creator in the rhythm of repose and movement, of rest and labor. There are gardens to labor in, to tend to and care for, as stewards of God’s gifts. God continues to provide for his world through many laborers who are doing their best to care for lives on earth. People are busy figuring out the next step. In the midst of daily updates, difficult news, and uncertainty about the future, our minds are also filled with fear and anxiety. They are busy with thoughts that get in the way of receiving from God. Living in isolation might not be enough to give us much needed rest—literal rest to keep us healthy, to take care of our minds and bodies; but also rest to go to the mountain and spend time with God in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. The garden is filled with thorns and thistles. We need to retreat to the mountain, not to let the anxieties of the moment rob us of our time with the Father. Retreat not to leave the world, but to be fed with the Word in order to engage the world rightly. Crises suck the life and joy out of people. We lose the ability to play, to step back and rejoice in God’s gifts. In restless times, reclaim the playground of God’s creation: play your guitar, enjoy a beverage, do some gardening, catch up with friends on the phone. When it seems like the world is ending, take time to pray, get some extra sleep, and sing, play, or listen to an old favorite tune. These are acts of defiant hope against all hope, acts of bold faith in the God of Jesus Christ, who’s got the whole wide world in his hands.