On Sunday, I’ll be uploading a Bible talk to help us think about how to respond as Christians in the middle of a crisis like the Covid-19 one we are going through. Particularly, I’ll be reflecting on how God uses experiences like this to grow our faith and to develop our relationships.
CS Lewis said:
“Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something, together, are companions. Those who enjoy or suffer one another, are not.”
A crisis like today’s gives opportunity for us to grow in friendship through our shared difficulty and also our mutual joy as we experience God himself. In our difficulty we have the chance, for example, to listen carefully and lovingly to each other and practice what James 1.19 tells us: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Our listening may have to be in small groups, over the phone, by whatsapp or on Facetime but there are likely to be days and days to perfect it.
In our temporary isolation, there’s a God-given window to take heart and joy from the promise Paul makes to all Christians in Romans 8.35 that absolutely nothing can take God away from us. In all circumstances we can know we are loved by the living God. He writes: who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Or a worldwide pandemic?