Not surprisingly, recently there have been articles speculating that this viral pandemic we’re experiencing is God’s wrath, His anger, His punishment for – and fill in the blank – everything from not being the devout and faithful people we should be to not being good stewards of the Earth.
God
does not unleash plagues as punishments on people.
As
Christians though, we’re not to dwell on that. Instead we’re to redirect our
thoughts on what Jesus reminds us: “The
wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not
know where it comes from or where it goes; so, it is with everyone who is born
of the Spirit.”(John 3:7).
When
each of us takes steps to confront evil in a charitable but just way… when we
find ways to offer forgiveness and begin the hard work of reconciliation…. when
we look for opportunities to be selfless and loving and reaching out to help
someone in need – that is the gentle breeze of the Spirit working in and
through each and every one of us who claims to have been “born from above.”
So
for those looking for where is God in the midst of this crisis – look at the
health care workers putting their care for the sick above their own well-being;
look at the people who are creatively finding ways to reach out and to connect
with people feeling isolated, alone and depressed; look at our volunteers
helping the residents at Charlotte House-- look at the littlest of gestures –
the kindness and genuine care offered by a neighbor to attend to someone else’s
needs. It’s far too easy to blame God for the evil we’re experiencing and
missing the reality of His grace, His blessing, His very spirit being at work
through countless and oftentimes unknown, invisible folks. Kind of
as invisible as, say the wind – that is blowing and driving about bringing
healing, compassion and new life in the midst of this storm.
Lord,
I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are connecting through Facebook, Skyp or
cell phone to make sure their neighbors are safe and sound with plenty of
toilet paper, face masks, medications and food on their tables. As our church
sign says outside the front door of our church “Put a Smile on Your Mask It Will Brighten
Your Day.”
