WHY DOES THIS PANDEMIC GO ON? - Eleanor Shepherd

            

 Long before I was born, God knew that in my eighth decade I was going to be a part of a global pandemic.  Even though He loves me unconditionally, He did not remove me from the danger that entails. Why?

            It is a question that many people are asking. Yet if we step back and look at things a little differently, we can see that God’s failure to directly interfere could be more advantageous to the people of our planet in the long run.

            Looking back in history, we see the incredible reality that some of the worst disasters have been used redemptively by God. He turns a curse into a blessing.  With the horrible plagues that swept through Europe in the Middle Ages, those who emerged from them developed new ways of caring for the sick and comforting the dying in hospitals and in practicing more effective forms of hygiene and medical research. These advances came with a price.

            Catastrophic events serve as wakeup calls, showing us aware we have been on the wrong path. During the turmoil of the reformation and counter-reformation that took place in the 17^th century Europe, people became aware that the church had been focusing on issues of power and authority, instead of serving humanity in the name of Christ. An about-face was needed, so that spiritual service rather than temporal power could again become the driving force of the Christian faith.

            When World Wars tore our planet apart, evil seemed unleashed that would destroy all that was good and decent and uplifting. Initiated by those who excelled in handling the beauty and creativity of the arts, they plunged their culture into never before imagined cruelty. What was the point of it all? What did it teach us? There were many lessons for those who had eyes to see them.

            War and conflict do not solve the problems. They might confront presenting issues, but they do not go to the heart of the dilemma.  The real source of the problem is the human heart, the place where God does not intrude without an invitation. During those dreadful wars, the saying arose that there are no atheists in foxholes. When lives were threatened, people cried out to God and He responded, sometimes through heroic gestures by comrades, sometimes in miraculous delivery from danger and sometimes in gentle accompaniment across the river into the life beyond. 

            We have witnessed a similar phenomenon in the midst of the prosperity that followed these turbulent times. Nature causes destruction due to climate change, with earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes tearing across lands and flooding innocent villages. In reaction, around the world, people open their pocketbooks and their hearts in a compassion that recognizes the vulnerability of each one of us. Also emerges a determination to change things, to deal with the issues of global warming.

            The thinking that we learned our lessons and the hearts of people were permanently changed was shattered on September 11, 2001. Terrorist attacks threw the world into panic. A nation considered invincible, was driven to its knees and in a time of questioning there were many who turned back to a faith that they had placed on the back burner.

            Am I saying that God does not interfere to prevent tragedy, so that people will turn to Him? It is not as simple as that. Today the disaster is Covid-19 and it is global. It is creating fear and suffering and panic for so many. Yet it may be doing more.

            I am amazed to see the unexpected positive consequences of this pandemic. For example: Many people are curious about what happens in churches, but they are intimidated by those who speak Christianese. They are not sure what would happen to them if they stepped inside the doors of a church simply out of curiosity. Would they be pounced upon and told what they were to believe? Would they be shunned because of how they dressed or who they hung around with? They just don’t know. With the pandemic, thousands of churches are opening their doors in a new way and posting their services online, so that anyone can look in and see what happens. It is a safe way to enter without having to engage with the people, until one feels comfortable enough to do so. No longer is the church a private gathering. There are great possibilities arising from this opening of the doors.

            God is at work in so many ways and will accomplish His purposes. He will open our eyes to them if we ask. There is a cost. Everything of value is costly. He who was willing to pay the significant price of our salvation Himself, will see that the value exceeds that cost. That is His way and we can trust Him.  

Word Guild Award
2011

 

Word Guild Award
2018

  

Word Guild Award
2009