The search for purpose in suffering - and learning to live through the troughs of life - is not new. Our response should not be new either. In a pandemic, when suffering is acute and valleys seem deep, the Christian response should still be to seek first God’s kingdom.
Pandemics remind us how sin has broken our world. Sin wreaks havoc in relationships between people, but also within creation itself. The creation of Eden has been disrupted, perturbed, twisted by sin. We are no longer in balance with nature. Earthquakes and predators and viruses - these are dangers to us now. Nature is a glorious display of God’s power, but it - like us - has been stained by sin.
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).