COVID-19 DON'T PANIC!!!!

C.S. Lewis’ essay entitled Is Progress Possible? Willing Slaves of the Welfare State, has much to say and is very relevant today to address the COVID-19 panic.  This essay can be found in his book God in the Dock, which is basically the English way to say God on trial.

Note that this essay was written in 1958 and during that time one big fear of society was the destruction of the world by atomic bombs.  I want to focus primarily on the first part of this essay as he begins it by writing the following.

            Now I care far more how humanity lives than how long  Progress, for me, means increasing goodness and happiness of individual lives.  For the species, as for each man, mere longevity seems to me a contemptible ideal.

            I therefore go even further than C.P. Snow in removing the H-bomb from the centre of the picture.  Like him, I am not certain whether if it killed one-third of us (the one-third I belong to), this would be a bad thing for the remainder; like him, I don’t think it will kill us all.  But suppose it did?  As a Christian I take it for granted that human history will some day end; and I am offering Omniscience no advise as to the best date for that consummation.  I am more concerned by what the Bomb is doing already.

            One meets young people who make the threat of it a reason for poisoning every pleasure and evading every duty in the present.  Didn’t they know that, Bomb or no Bomb, all men die (many in horrible ways)?  There’s no good moping and sulking about it.

He goes on in his essay to say basically the government will use a desperate need real or apparent, to seize more power by claiming the ability to relieve this desperate need.  And we in our desperate need will gladly sell our selves by doing whatever to be saved.  Once we have done that the government will then do whatever they want “in our best interests”.

This is happening even now.  Make no bones about it the restrictions that have been put in place to “stop or slow” the spread of the virus are no mere suggestions but have the full force and baking of the government behind it.  Governor Newsom has already mentioned using the National Guard to enforce quarantine, of course in the best interest of the citizens.

As we obey these current restrictions we must do so with a tremendous amount of skepticism and criticism.  We must understand that power always corrupts and that those who rule are always corrupted by it even if they believe they are acting in our best interests. If we simply accept that the governments actions are reasonable and necessary it will be that much easier for them to impose restrictions just as draconian or more so at the next perceived threat.

Some may interpret my words while obeying the government (albeit under duress), as callous and insensitive to those who are most vulnerable to complications from this virus.  By no means am I callous or insensitive to those most vulnerable.  I am very cautious when it comes to those whose immune systems are compromised.  I get a flu shot every year not because it is especially effective at keeping me from getting the flu, but because it is effective at keeping me from spreading it.  I don’t do visits if I am feeling under the weather at all, for fear of giving something to those whose immune systems are not as robust.  Those who have compromised immune systems could suffer severely if I gave them a cold. We must realize first that our vulnerable population is vulnerable to all viruses and infections.  A simple cold for us could cause a life threatening illness in those whose immune systems are compromised.

First off don’t panic.  COVID-19 is a real virus and it can lead to complications that can lead to death.  But as Christians what is that to us?  We have no fear of death for we have the promise of resurrection with Jesus as the first fruits.  Now this doesn’t mean we should seek death nor does it mean we should be cavalier in our precautions to prevent the spread of any disease.   

What it means is we should not panic!  We should not fear!  We should look at the chaos around us and radiate a sense of calm and peace, the calm and peace that we receive through our Lord and Savior, the peace that passes all understanding.  Which is one of the reasons I am resistant to canceling church I don't want to contribute to the panic but instead give hope.  However, I also don't want to contribute to the spread of the virus.  There in lies mine and our churches dilemma how do we spread hope and peace to a world that is panicking and yet also not contribute to the spread of the virus.

Use common sense, wash your hands, cover your mouth and turn away when you cough or sneeze, sanitize surfaces, stay home if you are feeling ill or under the weather or have been exposed to any illness, but above all else don’t panic!  Remember what Peter writes in 1 Peter 3 verse 14 and following.

    

1 Peter 3:14-17

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear;b do not be frightened."c  15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  

NIV

COVID-19 My Response as a Pastor in a Rural Community

I am sure that my comments here will make some people incredulous, or even down right angry and or offended.  Some will probably label me as reckless or uncaring.  To which I will reply c’est la vie.

We live in an age in which the promise of technology to make us more connected and bring us closer together has not lived up to it’s hype.  In fact some studies show that people feel more isolated then ever before.  I believe what it has given us is a freedom and sense of license to say anything we want and excuse us from making real personal connections by allowing us to say I have thousands of friends on Facebook and twice as many followers on Twitter and Instagram.

COVID-19 has caused mass panic and fear.  I am in no way a medical expert, but I say with reasonable confidence that the medical community doesn’t even know what it doesn’t know about COVID-19 yet. The virus is too new and what they don’t know is much greater then what they do know. 

We are afraid because our medical community has failed us in being able to inform us completely and fully about this new “threat” and offer us a cure.  The government is afraid.  The medical community is afraid.  Reason has been supplanted by fear and panic.  Listening to the news one would think it is the apocalypse, that the pale horse in Revelation has been unleashed upon us.

Paul reminds us of this in Romans 8 verses 15-17, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” (Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.)

As believers in Christ we have nothing to fear.  Not even death.  Now this is by no means to say that we should actively seek death or go out and live life with no caution.  What it is to say is that we have no fear.  Even death should not make us fear.

Now that I have reminded us that we do not have a spirit that makes us slaves to fear, let me remind us that we are brothers and sisters, a faith community.  Our faith is built upon relationships, our relationship to God through Jesus His Son and our relationships to one another.  Virtual meetings are no substitute for strengthening our relationships.  Gathering together to worship is more then hearing the word preached, it is more then singing hymns together and praying together.  It is about being present together physically.

It is my belief that now more then ever is a time that we as believers should be gathering together to worship, to pray, to fellowship and encourage one another.  This does not mean that we should do so without caution.  We should take the same measures that we do any other time.  Wash our hands frequently, cover our mouths and turn our head when we sneeze and cough, stay home when we are ill or have been exposed to illness, these things we learned in kindergarten and often times need reminding of them.  I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I have used the restroom in public places and seen men not wash their hands afterwards.

That said I do not believe that as a church we should stop meeting.  I believe that Satan is using this virus and the panic the news media is stirring up to strike at the heart of our faith communities, to drive us into greater isolation in which he can sow more seeds of fear and despair. 

My daughter Hannah said we could easily spread out more at church creating that “zone” of isolation and still meeting together.  I have thought about preaching several times on Sundays to be in compliance with the proclamation from the Governor concerning gatherings of more then 10 people.  My son Joshua told of a local pastor who is doing just that.

Later this evening we are meeting for Bible study in which we will discuss what to do about church.  My thought and plan for now is to open the doors of church this Sunday to whoever will come and I plan to continue doing that until I can no longer do so.