The virus pandemic has only escalated in the past week. Universities are sending students home, sport seasons are being canceled, and supplies of generally available goods
(such as toilet paper) are running thin. The media has been fueling the fire with seemingly non-stop reporting on the topic and I’ve received dozens of emails from every type of business entity outlining their response to the crisis. With all of the frenzy surrounding us, it is important for us as Christians to ask ourselves the question – “What should be our response?” While I certainly can’t presume to provide a complete answer to this question in such a short entry, I’d like to consider two opposing perspectives and offer a 3rd alternative.
A RESPONSE OF FEAR
Many of us respond to a pandemic like this with fear and anxiety. It is what drives people to hoard water, face masks, and other supplies (like toilet paper). Fear and anxiety come from a worry about what is unknown. The more we hear about what “could happen” and dwell on these dire possibilities, the more our minds begin to fixate on these potential outcomes. We draw parallels between this crisis and other major epidemics of the past. The darkness of the unknown grips us with fear and drives us to make decisions that, in normal circumstances, we would not make. The more we feed on this (and the media does their part to paint all the possible outcomes that we haven’t dreamed up on our own), the more anxious we become. When you are tempted to dwell on your fears, I challenge you to dwell on a God who already knows the things that are unknown to us. Read Isaiah 26:3 or Philippians 4:6 or 2 Timothy 1:7. God wants us to have peace in the midst of the storms of life. He wants us to dwell on him, not the circumstances around us. Keep your heart fixed on him, dwell on his sovereignty, and you will find that He will remove these irrational anxieties about the unknown.
A RESPONSE OF FOOLISHNESS
Another common response that is a counter to that of fear is foolishness. Some have taken a cavalier attitude, scoffing at the severity of the situation, and even claiming that there is no need to take any precautions. They may even have a spiritual retort which calls out those in fear as not putting their trust in God. However, the book of Proverbs calls out this kind of behavior on multiple occasions. Proverbs 13:6 says “Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.” (Also check out Proverbs 12:15, 14:16, 23:9, 24:7 and 28:26). Yes, trusting in God’s sovereignty is imperative when regarding what is unknown, but we are still responsible to get good counsel and exercise wisdom for what we know.
A RESPONSE OF FAITH
After taking both of these opposing options into consideration, I’d like to propose a third option – a two-fold response of faith. First, we need to have faith that God is in control of ALL the unknowns of life. He is still on the throne. None of this took him by surprise and, in fact, He EVEN HAS A PLAN to work through this situation for His own glory. He doesn’t want us to be anxious, fearful, or worried throughout the crisis. By demonstrating peace within ourselves and to the world around us, we show that we serve a great God who loves us and that His “perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). Second, our faith in God also means that God reveals information for us to act upon. As an example, we have enough information about how gravity works to know it is not a good idea to walk off a cliff! God intends for us to make informed decisions based on what he has revealed to us. What we do know about the situation should cause us to make rational, wise judgments about such things as washing our hands, reducing contact with others (especially the elderly), and other prudent preventive measures. But remember, don’t take the bait that we can have faith or trust in the preparations we make. God gives us knowledge and wisdom to take appropriate actions but always wants us to fully trust in Him for the outcome.
Finally, a response of faith is also a response of prayer. Christian, be in prayer for those infected around the world that they might be healed. Pray that those who are living in fear might know the peace that can be found in Jesus Christ. Pray for your local leaders, your local area and especially your local church. We have a spiritual need and a biblical mandate as a body of believers to continue to meet and worship together. Pray that we might make wise decisions about how best to meet these needs for the glory of God while keeping in perspective the realities and implications of the pandemic that we are facing.