The world, especially for most low-income workers in Third World countries, is already a fairly difficult place to try to survive With scarce budgets that can barely finance decent housing, a balanced diet or adequate education for children, life is a daily struggle. for many of the world’s poorest communities.
In these very common circumstances, an epidemic like coronavirus, which further complicates life, is more than undesirable, but that’s where we’re at now.
- The whole world is being held hostage.
- With new countries.
- States and regions announcing blockades every day.
- With high blood pressure and even greater anxiety.
- Global panic is evident.
- And in a world of instant news and constant use of social media.
- The voices addressing this pandemic are growing minute by minute.
- We are continually exposed to information that is useful and totally misleading.
Medical experts and concerned government agencies around the world are working tirelessly to limit the spread of the virus. Health officials have difficulty controlling it. And their efforts are broadcast all over the world in real time. Since a large part of the world’s population is doing so. In quarantine, access to abundant information fuels fear, as oxygen fuels a wildfire.
Make no mistake, a constant flow of information is not a bad thing, we need information to make wise choices, and Christians must pray that leaders in their respective countries will make decisions that protect people (1 Timothy 2:1-4). At the end of the day, people are always afraid. Terrified, in cases like this, more information doesn’t tend to allay people’s fears. This has the opposite effect. So the question is: in what or in whom can they follow our fears?It’s possible? More importantly, what does the gospel offer to a frightened world?
One of the ways the Gospel of Christ addresses a global epidemic is to confront the root of our fears. How can a virus have so much power over the whole world?The simple answer is that death frightens us. Big and small, human. Beings, over the generations, have proven to be totally powerless in the face of the death giant.
That’s why people are afraid to face their own mortality, not that COVID-19 has made us more vulnerable to death, it simply brought the painful reality of death to our doorstep, in the face of a global pandemic, death refuses to be ignored.
But what does this fear of death have to do with the gospel?I’m glad you asked the question. It is in this situation of David and Goliath that the power of the gospel shines. Here is what the scriptures say about Christ Jesus’ mission in his life, death, and resurrection:
Therefore, since children have a common participation of flesh and blood, he also participated in it, so that with his death he would destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and will free all who , because of fear of death, they were subjected to slavery for life (Heb 2,14-15).
Do you realize that? The devil keeps people under control, keeping them captive for fear of death. Having tested mankind to sin, the devil acts as an accuser (Apoc. 12. 10), demanding that a just punishment be applied.
But praise be to God, because the devil does not have the last word. The gospel breaks the chains of this dominant and tormenting fear of death. By giving us a second Adam to lead us to life and freedom, Jesus Christ shared our humanity and, having assumed death, conquered it gloriously. surrogate death, Jesus dominated the power of the devil to torment God’s people for fear of death.
Through the gospel, God redefines the meaning and experience of life and death. Whether we eat or drink, the gospel gives us the power and joy to do everything for the glory of God (1Co 10:31). honor Christ with our bodies, whether for life or death, even in the face of a deadly virus. Living becomes Christ, and dying, enjoying (Fp 1:20-21).
Now, when we apply these great truths to the current epidemic, that does not mean that we should be reckless, we must take all necessary precautions to avoid contracting the virus, but motivation changes radically. Instead of being motivated by fear, we are strengthened by hunger for God’s glory. We hope your honor will extend in our lives, especially in these difficult times. And we do so with joyful tension, because in our hearts we look forward to the day when we will finally be with Christ forever.
Finally, the Gospel calms our hearts, revealing to us the Sovereign God who governs the universe: “Our God is in heaven and everything does what he pleases (Ps 115,3). Does not the Lord reign a virus and neither does the devil? And the nations should rejoice in what he does (Ps 97,1). This sovereign God sustains all things with his mighty word (Heb 1,3). And he decrees everything that happens, with the sole purpose of showing that he is God.
One of the ways he does it is to humiliate us, revealing our weakness, our fragility, and our total inability to control our lives isn’t that exactly what this virus does?Even the world’s superpowers have recognized its limitations. Now is the time to recognize our own helplessness. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and we must pray, with hope and confidence, that God will stop this virus. Because only He can, do it.
But we can also ask ourselves: if God is sovereign, why does He allow such pandemics to devastate the world?We may never know the exact answer, but does the gospel provide us with all the information we need, highlighting the kind of world we live in?live in?i. e. a fallen world. When everything is fine in the world, we can ignore this reality. But a global epidemic brings the painful reality of life in a world fallen close to us with terrifying force. Our world is under the power of sin and Satan (1 John 5. 19), with human beings willing to support God’s enemy in defaming his glory (2C 4. 4).
And if we doubt it, the gospel reminds us of what we did to the Holy Son of God when he was on earth: we reject him, we deny him, we betray him, we torture him, we crucified him, and we killed him!we were not there to do it, the gospel shows our sins and confirms that it does.
But don’t stop there. It reminds us of what God, in his mercy, did to save and forgive us: “These were some of you; but they have been washed, but they have been sanctified, but they have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Christ and in the Spirit of our God. ? (1Co 6. 11) And that is the message that has been given to us to share with all that we can, especially those whose hope is in this life.
Equipped with this enormous truth, how can we be afraid?Our Father leads the universe, do we really think he will forget about our state?He works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his plan (Rom. 8. 28). Isn’t this virus one of them?