How to survive COVID-19 as a Christian…

As of writing this, the impacts hadn’t touched me here in Cheyenne, Wy until about a week ago. That is not to say other cities, or even regions, have not been affected longer. Instead, I am stating I have only been able to view and evaluate a communities response in person recently. What I noticed shocked me as a Christian. Local church leadership went completely silent and have only poked their heads out for a few inconsequential statements and surface level announcements concerning meeting cancellations. No reassurance. No hope. No guidance. No resources. As Christians, we are kind of left with no direction on how to act or what we should be focused on as a group. Below is my attempt to answer this problem, starting with some passages from the Bible.

1 Peter 3:13–14
“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you do suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; Do not be frightened.’”

James 4:17
“For whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

Ezekiel 34:3–4
“You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.”

I am trying to make three points with the above passages:
1.)Christians are to be brave in a crisis.
2.)Christians are to do what is right and ignoring what is right is a sin.
3.)Christians, as God’s elect, have a responsibility to care for the sick.

With these three ideas in mind, there is no excuse for not having a large scale Christian response during this time of crisis in our country. I have seen communities come together during this time, which is a great thing, but the Christian Church as a whole has been silent. We need to be at the forefront of the community, ready to provide whatever is necessary to whoever needs it. It seems that Christians are more interested in complaining about “hoarders” than they are in providing solutions to those who do not have enough.

Action during these times requires risk. Do you, as a Christian, have the faith to risk becoming sick to care for those in need? Are you willing to possibly go without so that someone else may be cared for? In other words, do you have the faith to be brave, do what is right, and fulfill our responsibilities to those on this earth?

This is what surviving the COVID-19 virus as a Christian involves. We can survive as human beings by isolating ourselves from the outside world and actually hoard supplies to make sure that we do not go without, but this will not leave our faith intact. Our Savior said it best, “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his soul?” We have a divine obligation to be in contact with individuals that are suffering at this time. This does not mean to carelessly put yourself at risk. It does mean that we are to use every technological and medical advantage that we have to be present in the lives of those suffering illness and those suffering a lack of necessities. Below, I will offer some ways in which we can help that may not be obvious.

Prayer
I am personally a fan of face to face, laying on of hands style prayer. That being said, this does not need to be the only method in which we can make prayer a personalized experience. When you find a need, call the person and pray over the phone. You can even text or email a prayer. One can take it a step further and FaceTime, Skype, or Facebook an individual. If using video alternatives, look the person in the eye and be an active listener. During this time of isolation, the addition of non-verbal communication mixed with voice can provide great comfort. If you are being led to go in person, maintain distance protocols, wash your hands, wear surgical gloves. Even if one doesn’t believe in the supernatural, prayer is still a great moral booster and also allows the mind to focus on singular important items instead of the anxiety riddled peripheral circumstances.

Provision
I do not believe the New Testament promotes socialism. One of the most common passages used to support Christian socialism is Acts 4:32–35. This reference does show a socialist atmosphere in the early Church, but this is not a mandated environment and completely voluntary. One thing is certain though and it is that the church is to provide for those within the faith and to the general public. This is clearly seen in Paul’s writings. Christians are to ensure the basic sustenance of their neighbors to the best of their ability. One can accomplish this during the present crisis in a variety of ways. We can easily drop off supplies on a neighbors door step. PayPal, Venmo, and other apps allow them to pay you for the purchases (though that should not be required). It wouldn’t be difficult to create an account electronically or through a physical bank in which like minded individuals can pool funds for resources. Social media makes it easy to organize resources and tasks for a group as well.

Encouragement
As Christians, our social gatherings are crucial to our spiritual health. If these functions are cancelled, then isolation can lead to a variety psychological effects. Depression and anxiety are examples that are common for those forced into isolation. Therefore, it is crucial that attempts are made to gather as Christians. These gatherings can occur in small groups that do not violate the social distancing and grouping limitations. Small group meetings in yards or parks instead of houses can allow for optimum separation. It has been mentioned previously, but again, video features on social media also offers ways in which large groups can still participate in worship and bible study. Like prayer, these video resources also provide a means for one-on-one encouragement.

Conclusion
It is obvious that the lack of Christian presence during this crisis is not due to a lack of options. Instead, it seems that there is just a lack of Christians. Our Savior, in Matthew 5, makes it clear that for a Christian to not be performing good works is the equivalent of covering a lamp in a dark room. It is completely against our nature to be withdrawn and not involved. Then the question is, why? Why are we not out there? Hopefully, most of our reasoning and possible excuses were already addressed above. If not, then maybe a few questions of self evaluation are necessary. Primarily, when we are before God, with our eyes closed and hands raised, or head bowed in solemn praise like our more traditional brothers and sisters, what are we singing/saying to God? Are the things that we proclaim in the comfort of the sanctuary just empty words? Are those proclamations situation dependent? Does God expect us to follow through on our promises of devotion and steadfastness? Will we be held accountable for every word that proves itself to be idle through our actions, or inaction?

I am not saying COVID-19 is not scary, but scary is where we are supposed to live. Our historical peers are looking upon us and waiting to see if we will answer the call like some of them or shirk in the face of danger like others. History itself is waiting to record an amazing revival as a result of faith in action or a secular account of mortality rates and infection prevention measures. We get to decide the final determination of these proverbial “forks in the road”. You get to decide if you survive as just another member of the human race or if you survive as a Christian.

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