Is Corona Virus God's Judgment?
It’s natural in the midst of this pandemic to ask “Why Corona Virus?” There may be an answer to that question, but I don’t have it. I have heard some proclaiming this is God’s judgment, and others wrestling with the question “Is this God’s judgment?”
This pandemic has been one of those big storms of life that won’t soon be forgotten. The reality is there will be more storms after this one. We could make our best attempts to be people who answer the why question, sorting out what is God’s judgment. Or, we can accept that storms beyond our control will be part of our future and decide how to live in response.
What comes to mind for me is the wise and foolish builders from Matthew 7. Those who listen and put into practice the words of Jesus will experience storms and survive them with their house on the rock. Those who do not have a foundation built on putting the words of Jesus into practice are positioned for a crash when storms come. All people will face storms.
Matthew 7 took on new meaning for me in the financial crisis of 2008. Our girls were three and one at the time. My wife, Lisa, started talking about how we would get through losing jobs or a home if it came to it. I wasn’t surprised by her courage, but it meant a lot to my heart to have a wife saying “I’m in and our family will make it no matter what we go through”. I know finances are one of the three main reasons for divorce. I know there are people who have a spouse that if the money is gone, they are gone. My wife embodied someone who puts the words of Jesus into practice and I could start to feel firm ground all around...regardless of financial markets. It didn’t mean I was immune to fear or that there were no challenges, but my feet could feel something solid. I don’t mean to imply that I get a free pass to have my wife follow Jesus' words while I do my own thing. That would be problematic. Also, every area of life matters, not just finances.
So, here we are again in the middle of an even greater storm. There are already tragic losses, but I believe our country will get through it. Great effort is going into quarantine, medical care and providing for those financially impacted. This is also an opportunity to evaluate if we are hearing the words of Jesus and putting them into practice…individually, in our churches, as a nation and beyond. Our church leaders can best care for the flock by letting people know there will be more storms - global, national and personal. Overseeing the flock involves training people and encouraging one another to put the words of Jesus into practice and be "house on the rock people". It’s part of spiritual formation and leads to building courageous people who have resource, even for others, in the middle of a storm. It may not eliminate losses, but it will change what kind of impact losses have.
Many wise leaders are looking over the horizon and recognizing this is may be just the first storm if we don’t collectively change. I’m suggesting there will be more storms regardless and we can either be the type of people who weather storms while offering hope or people who are destroyed by them. Some leaders are overly reductionistic and sound like a one string banjo that knows how to play the song of “if you don’t change judgement is coming”. I’m grateful for the good leaders I see preferring to lead people in such a way that their lives are transformed. As a result, those people won’t be destroyed by challenges they will face.
In Luke 13 , Jesus was told about current events or “storms" of His day - Pilate killing worshipers. Implicit in this report is the question “Was this judgment?" Jesus responds with another current event - a tower falling on eighteen people and killing them. He said “do you think these were worse sinners…No, but repent or you will all likewise perish”. Historically, the mood during Jesus’ time was armed revolt against the Romans. If Judah didn’t repent, this mood would get them crushed by the Romans (and in the year 70 it did). There would be more falling buildings and many more killed. In our culture, one mood that could get us crushed is greed manifest in living beyond our means. If we don’t collectively repent from our greed, we could have financial collapse ahead. This is one possibility, but fill in the blank of the different mood’s in our midst and the potential collapse ahead without repentance in the culture around us.
So maybe Jesus would say “Do you think those who died from the coronavirus were worse sinners? No, I tell you but unless you all repent (turn from greed, and/or living to please yourself), you all will overwhelmed by the storms ahead”.
So, here we are again in the middle of an even greater storm. There are already tragic losses, but I believe our country will get through it. Great effort is going into quarantine, medical care and providing for those financially impacted. This is also an opportunity to evaluate if we are hearing the words of Jesus and putting them into practice…individually, in our churches, as a nation and beyond. Our church leaders can best care for the flock by letting people know there will be more storms - global, national and personal. Overseeing the flock involves training people and encouraging one another to put the words of Jesus into practice and be "house on the rock people". It’s part of spiritual formation and leads to building courageous people who have resource, even for others, in the middle of a storm. It may not eliminate losses, but it will change what kind of impact losses have.
Many wise leaders are looking over the horizon and recognizing this is may be just the first storm if we don’t collectively change. I’m suggesting there will be more storms regardless and we can either be the type of people who weather storms while offering hope or people who are destroyed by them. Some leaders are overly reductionistic and sound like a one string banjo that knows how to play the song of “if you don’t change judgement is coming”. I’m grateful for the good leaders I see preferring to lead people in such a way that their lives are transformed. As a result, those people won’t be destroyed by challenges they will face.
In Luke 13 , Jesus was told about current events or “storms" of His day - Pilate killing worshipers. Implicit in this report is the question “Was this judgment?" Jesus responds with another current event - a tower falling on eighteen people and killing them. He said “do you think these were worse sinners…No, but repent or you will all likewise perish”. Historically, the mood during Jesus’ time was armed revolt against the Romans. If Judah didn’t repent, this mood would get them crushed by the Romans (and in the year 70 it did). There would be more falling buildings and many more killed. In our culture, one mood that could get us crushed is greed manifest in living beyond our means. If we don’t collectively repent from our greed, we could have financial collapse ahead. This is one possibility, but fill in the blank of the different mood’s in our midst and the potential collapse ahead without repentance in the culture around us.
So maybe Jesus would say “Do you think those who died from the coronavirus were worse sinners? No, I tell you but unless you all repent (turn from greed, and/or living to please yourself), you all will overwhelmed by the storms ahead”.
Jesus warned “In this life you will have trouble”, and he didn’t give a reason why. Instead he offered a reasoned posture for those who follow him, “be courageous for I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). As followers of Jesus, we need to know that we will face trouble, but we have reason to take courage and become the embodiment of good news to those around us.
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