More than ever before, people question the purpose of faith in a “modern” world. Many people who are outside the church do not see the relevance of our ancient practices, prayers, scriptures and worship.
Regardless of how relevant we are to some people, one thing is clear – the church is the only place that speaks spiritually about events and experiences in both our personal lives and in the world. Are there spiritual meanings to pandemics, civil unrest, economic crises? The answer, of course, is an unequivocal yes! The church has the tools to unpack and work through these challenging events in our history. So, the question I get the most often is what does it mean for us, as God’s holy people, to have to endure this COVID-19 pandemic? Is this disease an Old Testament curse that God sent to punish us?
The simplest response to these questions is that we live in a broken and sinful world, and this pandemic is just one aspect of that brokenness. Just as a drunk driver can kill innocent people through their recklessness, or a cancer diagnosis can end a life without warning, this pandemic is part and parcel of living in a broken world with all our normal problems.
In a sinful world, horrible things happen. It’s part of living on this side of eternity.
Still, we are left wondering about that second question – has God sent this pandemic to punish us for our sinful ways? Well, every plague described in the Old Testament was sent by God to bring His people back to Him. So yes, it could be considered a plague aimed at us. In addition, this pandemic has swept through nearly every country on earth, infecting Christians, Muslims, and atheists. It affects the rich and poor. Is it sent by God? Yes, I believe it is. Who is the recipient? Everyone, because we have all turned from God.
This leads to the role of our faith in this time. What role does Christianity play in a pandemic? Scripture is clear on this – it is precisely for trying times like these that we place our trust in God. Our faith is an anchor in a sea of change and uncertainty. Now, God is not some sort of genie who focuses on wish fulfilment and makes sure that everyone gets to live a perfectly content life!
We place our trust in God because God promises to save us from the sinful brokenness of this world. That doesn’t mean that we won’t experience suffering – scripture says we will suffer for our faith. But, our faith does not vanish when we suffer and life becomes challenging; our faith is revealed when trusting in a good and loving God becomes difficult.
Remember, when you feel like you can’t take another step, that’s when God is there to carry you. May God continue to carry us all through this judgment and return us to a simpler, pandemic-free life. Amen.
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Rev. Michael Mayer serves as Pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Monkton.
