Jason Glas

“These are interesting times.”  That was the conclusion of a friend from a phone call I had with him this past week as the COVID-19 cases climbed, the economic markets roller-coastered, job losses mounted, and churches were unable to meet.  While the times are interesting, they are far from novel.  The church has always dealt with life’s uncertainties, disease, and provisional scarcity, but has consistently found strength and courage in the Lord to endure.  Therefore, as we face the threat of this pandemic and the ancillary damages in our society, there are seven items I would like to share with you that I pray you will find edifying, instructive, and encouraging during these days.

First, the church has dealt with many viruses in the past.  Plagues and pandemics are littered throughout church history, and I have been encouraged by reading how the church responded in these moments.  Here is a hint, they did not sit around watching Netflix.  There are as many headlines over the threat of internet speed slowing and the demand for streaming content as the virus itself.  Netflix has been described by some as “necessary” and “basic for human survival” during this time of quarantine.  This does beg the question, what did Christians do during a pandemic before the internet?  In short, the church found ways to show the love of Christ, even tending to the sick at risk to their own life.  When the plague of Cyprian broke out in the Roman empire during the years 249 – 262, some cities like Alexandria lost over 60% of its population.  The sick were in the streets, death surrounded everyone, and physicians were clueless how to help.  What we also know, is that it was during this time that the entire social attitude toward Christians began to change.  Christians were getting sick and dying to, but it was the compassion of believers that caused the Western world to socially accept Christians and begin listening to the Gospel.  Christians served the sick, helped bury the dead, took in orphaned children whose parents died, and much more because of their faith and hope.  There are multiple examples throughout church history of Christians who served amid plagues even to their own peril, but the Lord used their faith and compassion to save countless souls.  How will the Lord use us in all of this?  What is our testimony before the world in our reaction? 

Second, God uses viruses for His glory.  He calls the church to repentance for indulgence, He calls the world to reflect on life and death, and He makes a harvest ripe for salvation.  In the 5th century, Augustine defended Christianity and provided theological clarity to the collapse of Rome in the year 410.  Christians suffered immensely when Rome fell.  The economy crashed, homes were lost, many people were forced to migrate elsewhere, and many comforts once enjoyed were evaporated and replaced with efforts simply to survive.  Augustine said Christians in Rome had much to learn about themselves in all of it.  On one hand, Christians claimed they were not attached to earthly things but “they have discovered by the pain of losing these things how much they were sinning in loving them.”[1]  Economic recession is not something anyone wishes to endure, but often times the Lord uses these episodes in economic history to call His church to repentance.  In suffering loss of worldly goods, it often exposes our wayward affection for the things of this world instead of the world to come.  Sometimes we need a virus and a recession to remind us of our frailty and dependence upon the Lord.  Loss of “health and wealth” can be a good inoculator to protect us from the virus of idolatry, which is far more deadly in the end.  It is good to see the pandemic threat as a tool of purification for the church. 

We also cannot lose sight of the opportunity this presents the church.  Robert Nicholson of the Wall Street Journal is even questioning if the virus is the means of religious revival in our country.[2]  It may not lead to another “Great Awakening” but none of us can discount the opportunity to speak truth.  People around us will be asking questions about life, death, and what the Bible teaches, and we need to be ready to respond.  We cannot be so focused on our self-preservation that we are negligent toward the Great Commission in speaking the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  How are we using this time?  How are we using this moment of our lives to reach our neighbor?  We need to pray for one another, pray for our church, and pray the Lord will use this to awaken souls to their plight and draw them to Jesus. 

Third, the church must not be gripped with fear like the world.  We must learn to be cautious without being fearful.  The response to the COVID-19 threat by many Christians is discouraging because the reaction of fear does damage to our testimony before the world.  The world will interpret our fear as the absence of hope, which is ultimately caused by a lack of faith.  I do not mean a foolish faith believing we will have some invincibility to the virus, but faith in the purposes of God and trusting Him through all of life’s uncertainties and threats.  Much like our testimony about idolatry and worldliness, we may verbalize and claim we have faith and hope in the Lord, but a virus or crisis in our life may expose feebleness in our faith and hope.  Just like suffering financially, no one wants a disease, but in a world where suffering exists because of sin’s curse, these things are unavoidable.  By faith we must remember that and learn to trust the Lord with everything; especially what we cannot control. 

I recently had a conversation with an unbeliever over this matter who was offended by my response to the pandemic because he wrongly interpreted me as being passive.  I simply explained that disease, infections, viruses, and the like are part of living in a post-paradise fallen order.  He said to me, “That’s easy to say now until it is your child that is sick.”  I explained to him that I am fully aware that my children could get the COVID-19.  One my children could get that, cancer, another disease, or die from a playing accident, but that is what happens when we live in a world that awaits new creation.  What he interpreted as being passive is by faith learning to be content.  Our anxieties are often manufactured by our desire to be in control.  We are not God, so let us learn to trust Him who is.  Suffering, disease, and death are evil and part of our burdensome groaning and creation’s groaning (Romans 8:18-25) until our Lord makes all things new.  The Bible reminds us of our spiritual posture when we suffer or face the threat of suffering: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Romans 8:35 NIV). His answer?  “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,1 neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39 NIV).

Fourth, when the NT speaks about salvation it includes eschatology.  The text in Romans 8 above reminds us that our salvation now is the beginning of salvation.  “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23 NASB).  Our hope if firmly fixed on the completion of our salvation.  The church has yet to experience our complete salvation when our bodies will be resurrected, we will be transformed, given glorified bodies, and death will be swallowed up in the victory of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).  Our hope is based upon nothing in this present order, but on the New Creation order to be revealed when Jesus makes His final coming.  Right now, our spiritual rebirth, love for the Lord, love for His truth, love for His church, and desire to live righteously before Him are all appetizers for what awaits us in the future when Jesus is fully revealed.   “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13 ESV).

Fifth, there is only one Messiah, and government is not it.  Over the last century, the role of government has expanded because the role of the church has retreated.  As a result, even Christians have become more hospitable toward government expansion of power largely because some are too trusting that government actions are benevolent.  Christians must be cautious for how much of a role we call on government to assume because as history proves, when government takes power, it does not give it back.  The worst dictators of the 20th century came to power in response to a crisis and economic deprivation.  The church cannot afford to be naïve but must be watchful to see how our governing authorities use police powers, commerce regulations, and other acts and polices to regulate lives, and particularly the assembly of the church.  Rather than calling on government, let us call on the church to do more.  In the end, we will all be better off for it. 

Sixth, remember that news broadcasters get paid to keep you on their channels and websites.  We must remember that information is politicized, agenda driven, and financially motivated.  No matter your information source, there is always an angle.  The complexity of our digital age is not just the amount of information but the quantity of conflicting information.  We can temper our thinking if we remember the doctrine of human depravity; “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’” (Romans 3:10 KJV).  How is this practical for dealing with COVID-19?  We must remember that money is paid handsomely to keep humanity in fear and tuned in.  It remains difficult to know how effective efforts are at controlling the virus spread, but remember it is a virus and not nuclear fallout.  The real concern over the virus is not getting sick, but how lives have been and will be impacted by this.  How many people will lose their jobs?  How many will struggle to make ends meet?  How many missionaries will lose funding and must quit their work because of no financial support?  How many children are being abused in homes because of being with adults all day?  How many church members, already struggling with loneliness and isolation, are being spiritually and emotionally impacted by “social distancing”?  There will be an aftermath over all this that is greater than the virus threat itself. 

Seventh, be careful with what we communicate.  It is good to remember that 23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24 ESV).  Remember that in our social media networks what you post reflects on those with whom you associate.  Our social media communication must always be from a representative posture; we represent Christ, we represent His church, and we represent our local church.  Anyone from the outside viewing our posts must gain an accurate sense of our church family from our etiquette and posts online.  We must be careful to broadcast only what is good and helpful for building up one another and ensuring that our personal positions on matters do not unfairly label everyone in our circles as sharing those convictions.  Some issues where people are passionate are matters of Christian liberty.  Christians will have differing views on things like quarantine, government mandates, social contact, etc. that may be different than your view, but it does not mean they are necessarily wrong.  James gives good advice we should consider, even in the context of social media: My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19 CSB).  For many of us, we reverse these.  We are often too quick to speak, slow to hear, then quick to get indignant.  Social media creates tight circles of influence and tend to generate group and bandwagon thinking that can result in vilifying anyone who thinks differently.  When we are quick to speak, slow to listen, and others do not align with our views it can create frustration and bitterness, even over petty non-essential matters.  Just because we are willing to speak, does not mean we speak for the whole group.  We just need to be cautious that our personal matters of liberty do not unfairly represent those in our network.  As we speak and write about the virus, remember that charity is the key in all of this.  Learning to be charitable, gracious, loving, respectful, helpful, and encouraging to one another is most needed.  Let us seek each other’s good.    

So, as we live in these interesting times, let us remember to be cautious without being fearful.  Continue to share, check on one another, witness for Christ, and find ways to fellowship so we can remain steadfast in our faith.  Be strong in the Lord fearing Him alone.

[1] Saint Augustine, The City of God, trans. By Marcus Dods (New York: Modern Library, 1993), 14.

[2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-coronavirus-great-awakening-11585262324