Tuesday, March 31, 2020

EmmDev 2020-03-31 [Perspective: God, Faith and Covid19] Good will come out of it.


Good will come out of it.

One of the strong sentiments emerging at this time is "don't worry, good will come out of this."

I agree with the sentiment.

Wholeheartedly.

For me it is not a mere sentiment, it is a core part of my faith.
With all of my heart, mind and soul I believe that God can and does work in these circumstances. This is the ultimate message of Easter - Good Friday leads to Resurrection Sunday.
Tony Campolo said "It's Friday... but... Sunday's coming!"


There are two verses that immediately come to mind:
  • Gen.50:20 (Joseph talking to his brothers who sold him into slavery) "You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing."

  • Rom.8:28 "...in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
But I am concerned about some misconceptions around this thought...

Firstly, I am concerned that when we are too quick to say "Oh God will bring good out of this" we are in real danger of minimising or trivialising the reality and pain of the current circumstances.

Paul doesn't make this mistake. Having told the church in Rome that God was at work in their circumstances, he also connects powerfully, deeply and intimately with their situation of persecution. In fact, he describes their circumstances very candidly: "We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." And then he comforts them with the powerful affirmation that nothing can separate them from God's love. And not even Covid19 and its ensuing chaos can separate us from God's love!

My second concern is this: If we believe that God works in all circumstances, this does not mean that He is the author of our circumstances. As I noted in a previous eDev, we live in a broken world. And in a broken world, broken things happen. It is God's gracious, mysterious and even mischievous way to bring good out of evil, but that doesn't mean that God sent covid19 so that good could come out of it. Human hubris drove the world into the covid19 ditch, but in His kindness and mercy God will work to transform our pain.

My third concern is that many people are quick to say that "good will come out of this" or that "God will bring good out of this" but they sit back and wait for it to happen. They are not listening to the gentle whispers and prompts of the Spirit who would move our hearts, minds and imaginations so that we become agents of the transformation. God chooses to include us in His work of transformation. But  He doesn't work alone. If "good is to come out of this" we will have a part to play. We can't be passive. We have to be part of what God is doing.

I sincerely believe that real good could come out of lockdown and the world-wide impact of covid19. Our systems, our priorities and our habits could change for the better and I hope and pray for that.

But let us take time weep and pray at the loss of life, the plight of the poor and the devastating economic impact. Then, let us open our ears to hear the Spirit and roll up our sleeves to be part of the transformation. Use lockdown to think and pray, do what you can while you're there, but then come out ready for action!

Roman Christians were being put in front of gladiators and wild animals. They were being set on fire to light up Nero's garden. They paid a tough price, they "locked down" in the catacombs as they hid from their persecutors but through Christians like them the gospel went to the world.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
...
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.                    (Romans8:28-37)