Responding to Coronavirus: what is God saying? Since my first message the Coronavirus pandemic has continued to tighten its grip. When we look at the news each day we read of rising death rates and economic woes. There seems to be an undercurrent of panic and fear within our nation that is palpable. Many households continue to fret about the looming, uncertain future. As Christians what are we to make of all this? What is God saying to our world through the rapid spread of this killer virus? Is there a clear message encrypted within these dark days that the Lord wants us to decipher and respond to? There are currently many self-anointed prophets claiming to speak on behalf of God. Many of them are quick to declare that what is unfolding is a sign of Divine judgment on the nations, perhaps even an ushering in of the final days in the run up to Christ’s return. Are they right? Is this what God is saying through it all? Inevitably some of us will reach different conclusions. Often these conclusions will be coloured by our own theological and denominational backgrounds. In what follows, I want to offer up my own personal perspective on the tricky subject of interpreting what God is saying through current events. Feel free to agree or disagree with me as Scripture and God’s Spirit lead you to. Beware of dubious judgments Personally I feel that there is an inherent danger in ‘hearing voices’ and ‘seeing signs’ when it comes to public crises and trials such as our own. This is not to say that God does not speak to us through these things; it is just to acknowledge that, as fallible humans, we can so easily misinterpret what God is saying and doing. And sadly, when Christians do misinterpret God’s deeds, they can then misrepresent God. This in turn can lead to all kinds of problems: vulnerable believers having their faith bent out of shape; the reputation of the church being given a comedic twist. One only has to think back to 1970 and the publication of Hal Lindsey’s book The Late, Great Planet Earth to find an example of this. In it he predicted the Cold War would fulfil many of the obscure prophesies of the book of Revelation, with the international tension of that period precipitating the return of Christ. It didn’t. And while the book seemed timely and prescient when first published, it now looks eccentric and daft. So we need to avoid the mentality of those keyboard theologians who are quick jump onto the Internet, exploiting the Coronavirus for their ‘Thus says the Lord’ moment. Otherwise we may find that in a couple of years’ time the world is laughing at us again. But does this mean that God doesn’t speak to people at all through international events and developments? Not at all. For while on the one hand we need to recognise how dangerous it is to dogmatically declare ‘God is saying this to our nation at this time’, on the other hand that doesn’t mean that there are no spiritual lessons to be learned. For surely we can all agree that times of unusual trial bring to the fore spiritual truths and realities that people tend to neglect when all is going well. And it is perhaps in this sense that it can be said with integrity and confidence that God is ‘saying something to us’ during these times of trouble. Let’s consider two specific areas where this is likely so. The end is near (and it has been since Jesus appeared) One thing that the rise of COVID-19 ought to impress upon us all is that the end is near. But in saying this we need to be clear about what that means from a truly biblical perspective. At the risk of oversimplification, the New Testament divides current history into two parts: the End Times and the Last Days. The End Times describes the period that stretches from the first coming of Christ to His second coming. We are in that period now. The Last Days is the final phase of the End Times during which the Antichrist appears. This is still in the future. Both periods will be characterised by war, famine, disease and a growth in human wickedness and persecution of the church (Matthew 24:3-8), with the final period (the Last Days) seeing an intensification of evil (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). So where does that leave us now? While on the one hand we should not see the appearance of Coronavirus as necessarily ushering in the Last Days, we can say that it is a part of the present order of things; suffering that will come in ebbs and flows until Christ returns. So, in a very real sense, outbreaks of disease and deadly viruses should ‘speak’ to us: they should remind us that we are living in a world that is nearing its end. Jesus told us to expect these things as a part of life in a creation under God’s judgment. But that same creation is also awaiting the deliverance that will come on the day of Christ (Romans 8:18-25). Pandemics such as the present one can at least remind us of these things. We need to be careful about saying more this that, but this we can at least say. Nothing is certain (except God and His promises) The second way the present situation can speak to us is by reminding us that, in this fallen creation, nothing is certain and secure except God and His promises. What has been very humbling about our present trial is the way that the certainties of even a month ago have dissolved before our very eyes: economic stability, job security, community safety, personal plans and projects, life itself. So many of these certainties which we take for granted have now been seen to be no certainties at all! Life and prosperity are not givens, neither are we owed them. As Job once said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Perhaps then, through this pandemic, God is challenging us to reconsider where we go to find shelter in this life. So many of the structures and institutions we gather around and under are like the proverbial house of cards, easily toppled when the winds of adversity blow against it. Of course we thank God that in these challenging days we do witness so much good. We see acts of selfless service among health workers as they care for the sick; we see neighbour love in action. As all people are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) we shouldn’t be surprised by this. But we also should not to lose sight of the fact that times such as these highlight how fragile life really is. We are not in control. Nothing is certain. Only God and His promises lasts forever. We should love Him best. In a future message I want to look at how God might use the current pandemic for good in our lives. But it’s worth mentioning now that, for some of us, this present crisis could be the spiritual wake-up call we need. Even as converted people we can become blunt disciples as we invest too much energy in servicing our health, career, or public image at the expense of our service to Jesus. Isn’t it good to be reminded that such worldly prioritising will only lead us to bitter regret and a sense of wasted opportunity? Our health, careers and public image can evaporate in an instant but Jesus and His kingdom will endure forever! Might it be that the Lord intends to use this trial to teach us once again what it means to ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’. When we do, our joy will increase as we see God supplying our truest and deepest needs as we advance toward Heaven (Mathew 6:33). Blessings in the lockdown? One of the positives to have come out of the current lockdown is the way in which many folk have been forced to catch up on household chores they had previously been neglecting. Some people have been using their enforced ‘house arrest’ to clear out the clutter from their attics. Others have begun to sort out the garden properly. Others have been catching up on general DIY. And could it be that God may use the present trial we are going through to speak to us about the spiritual clutter in our own lives? Have we grown too comfortable in this life? Do we need to be reminded that as Christians our home is in heaven and eternity is the measuring rod by which we evaluate what is truly valuable and worth living for? In this connection the words of Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 are especially pertinent: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” These lessons are not new: they are always available to all people of all generations at all times. But it usually takes a crisis to make us listen. Steve Ridgeway (fb)

Responding to Coronavirus As we are all aware, we are living in strange and unprecedented days. The rapid spread of the Coronavirus, with the equally swift shutting down of everyday life, is something which few of us could have foreseen even a month or so ago. This has led to many people not only fearing for their health but also fearing for their livelihood. Who knows where this pandemic will lead us in terms of the future? Already experts are beginning to speak of an economic implosion awaiting us once society begins to emerge from the ashes of this catastrophe. But how should we as Christians approach this traumatic situation? How is our faith to shape the manner in which we view and understand it? As many of us will know, there have been numerous Christian pundits and religious media commentators who have had a lot to say about it all. You can read their blogs, listen to their podcasts and stream their sermons online. And when you do, it soon becomes apparent that even within the Christian church there exist widely divergent views as to what we should be thinking about this modern day scourge. Some see it as a judgment from God, others the work of Satan, while others see it as a test of faith for believers. Over the next few weeks I intend to produce a series of short messages on what our response, as Christians, should be to the Coronavirus. What I say won’t be exhaustive; neither will it be definitive. So much could be said on a subject like this that a series of messages could easily go on ad infinitum. But I at least want to address some of the questions that people of faith will probably be asking at this anxious time, questions like why has God allowed it? What is God saying through it? What is God seeking to achieve by it? And what ought our response to be to it? I hope you’ll find what I have to say useful. Let’s get started. Why has God allowed the Coronavirus? In this first message I want to try to tackle the question ‘why has God allowed the Coronavirus?’ For many folk this is a perplexing question. After all God is supposed to be a God of love who cares about His world and its population. Yet, if this is the case, why has He allowed this disease to spread in the way He has? Indeed could it be a sign that He is angry with us all? Might it be a judgment sent to teach us a lesson? While we need to be humble and acknowledge that we cannot answer all of these questions conclusively (who can read God’s mind?), the Bible itself gives us some light on the matter. We live in a world already under judgment While, in my view, we need to be very careful about attributing to this current epidemic the hallmarks of divine retribution, at the same time we can say that it is a symptom of a wider judgment that rests over all of creation. Indeed the Bible is very clear when it tells us in Genesis 3 that the present world has been cursed by God as a direct result of humanity’s rebellion against Him. As a consequence of this the harmonious life first enjoyed by Adam and Eve in Eden has been lost. In its place has come a life of sickness, suffering and death. So while we may not be able to say with certainty that Coronavirus has been sent specifically as a judgment from God, against some particular secular aberration, we have biblical warrant to say that all viruses and life threatening diseases are a by-product of sin in general, the fruit of God’s historic curse on creation. Knowing this should help us to firstly understand that pandemics and disease will always be a part of life on earth in this age. That’s just the way it is in the sinful world we are a part of. But secondly, it should lead us to be amazed that we do not experience such plagues more often. Indeed, one of the reasons why many of us in the West are so stunned by recent developments is because we are normally shielded from such adversity. This is due to the fact that God has providentially blessed us with a level of medical progress that has enabled us to develop vaccines and treatments which boost our immune systems. Indeed, in times past, when such developments were not as advanced, diseases like Spanish Flu (1918-19) wiped out thousands of lives in the UK alone. Surely then, when something like Coronavirus occurs we should take time to thank God for what he has delivered us from as well as lament the state we are currently in. Sin deserves so much more than we will ever understand. We ought to be amazed at God’s patience and mercy in the fact that these strange days we are living in are strange and not the norm as we truly deserve. But we also live in a day of hope As we survey the current scene, and ponder what the future may hold in store, it is easy to understand why so many people are anxious and frightened. And if we also consider the spiritual and theological perspective of the Bible on the present crisis, you could be forgiven for thinking the future is bleak. Indeed, there are many Christians who themselves feel overwhelmed and depressed. And yet it seems to me that if we take our faith seriously, despair should not be our default position. Yes, we should take Coronavirus seriously. We need to avoid brushing it off as a trivial matter. It should cause us to mourn. Yet, by the same token, it should lead us to cherish more deeply the hope we have in Christ, the One who entered our world to deliver us from sin, disease and judgment. As we read in Matthew 8:17, Jesus came to fulfil ‘what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”’. Jesus began this fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation during His days on earth. He will complete it on the day of His return. Consider the stunning future this will secure: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4) Therefore while the short-term future may be uncertain and troubling for those in the world, the eternal future is always bright for those who are in Christ Jesus. Even when pandemics abound, Christians can meaningfully say that we live in a day of hope. Some final thoughts I look forward to continuing these series of messages in the days ahead. But as I wrap things up for the time being, let me suggest three things that should characterise our response to the current pandemic we are facing. First, we need to demonstrate sorrow and sympathy in our approach to people and the circumstances we find ourselves in. Sorrow that this disease is touching many lives, sorrow at the way in which sin has caused such deadly viruses to enter into the human experience. Ought this not to cause us to sympathise with those around us who are frightened and perplexed? Sin and sickness were never a part of God’s original intention for our world, and that should cause us to grieve. But as Christians we must not become consumed with fear and anxiety as many in the world are doing at this present time. Instead we need to display wisdom and trust. Wisdom in abiding by scientific guidelines in terms of social- distancing, handwashing etc. That is a caring thing to do, a way of loving our neighbour even if we personally resent these restrictions. Yet at the same time our wisdom should flow out of a larger trust in God: He is our sovereign security and He will look after us both in this life and the world to come. Therefore we must let His peace be our strength. Finally, let us continue to worship and witness in these days. Instead of simply lamenting and obsessing over negative statistics and news reports, turn to God with thanksgiving and praise as we remember His kindness, patience, and mercy toward us in these days. If He were to deal with us as our sins deserve, things would be so much worse than they presently are. And as we do this let us ask Him for opportunities to share the good news of the gospel with others, news of the Son of God who came to Redeem us from all evil and restore us into the presence of God forever. Steve Ridgeway (fb)