Christ Jesus and the Coronavirus

Richard Hollerman

I would think that many of us have read and listened to numerous different accounts of the present “epidemic” of the virus. People around the world are feeling the effects of this disease and there have been varied responses to the dreaded and costly Coronavirus.

Just today I was going through a popular news magazine devoted to this pandemic, with various authors discussing the disease and offering different solutions. As I came to the end, I was struck with at least one observation: This represents the world attempting to solve a problem using worldly ways! The entire magazine was secular in its approach and, sadly, God was not mentioned. At least, I didn’t notice that the Lord was involved in this. Where was He?

Let’s admit that we are living in a very secularized world where God is not brought into the discussion. He is left outside and doesn’t figure into regular discourse. He is simply absent. People seem to not be concerned about this. They are not embarrassed. In fact, sadly, in such places as America, Europe, and other countries God just doesn’t count. Many don’t believe in Him.  And in other parts of the world, God is either not believed or other world religions (such as Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and others) pervert the being and nature of God.

Thus, when we speak about the problem of Coronavirus that has enveloped the world, people simply are not interested in God. Even in those areas where people do acknowledge God’s existence, most don’t care that He is eliminated or at least not mentioned. This is not only sad but it is grieving!

This disease has touched many areas of our life and surely God should be interested, mentioned, and even consulted! There is the virus itself that affects the physical makeup of people and hundreds of thousands have died and will die. There are the hundreds of millions of jobs lost around the world, with terrible effects for families and society. There is connected with this the great financial strain and loss. There is the diminishing of travel—whether locally or internationally. In these and many other ways the “enemy” of this disease has affected most of us. But where is God who is concerned about all of this?

Even with God’s seeming elimination, He is still here. God has said, “I, the LORD, do not change” (Malachi 3:6). And of Jesus Christ, we read, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). So if God is pushed out of our concerns, it is not because He has changed or is not interested!

Let’s remember that God has created us. “It is He who has made us and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:3). He has not only “made the world and all things in it” but He is also “Lord of heaven and earth” (Acts 17:24). Thus, shouldn’t we bring Him into our concerns about the virus and everything else in life? While He might be pushed out of everything from the radio, TV, the internet, education, and the newspaper, why should this happen? If He made you and me, shouldn’t He be right in the middle of everything that happens?

The very reason why we are here is because of God our Creator and Sustainer! The reason why we have the blessing of knowing God through Jesus Christ should motivate us to call on Him at such a time as this—when the virus has affected us so dramatically! We are acting like there is no God at all—even though He is at the very center and circumference of all there is! Many of us may not be atheists—but we act like we are! Thus, we are “practical atheists” even though many of us claim to believe in Him.

When society around us is in chaos, we need to go to the Lord with our concerns, our problems, our difficulties, and our life itself. There is a song in my hymnbook that says this:

Living below in this old sinful world,

Hardly a comfort can afford;

Striving alone to face temptations sore.

Where could I go but to the Lord?

 

Where could I go,

O where could I go,

Seeking a refuge for my soul?

Needing a friend to save me in the end,

Where could I go but to the Lord?

(James B. Coats)

When it comes to the present Coronavirus, we need to have this attitude. Where could we go but to the Lord? He has the answers, the power, and life itself. He is the One to whom we must resort!

Let’s begin to acknowledge God in all we do! We may not understand all about the disease, but we can know that God knows! Physically, financially, and in every other way, there might be a “silver lining” in it all. If this causes us to flee to God for His help, His knowledge, and His life, this is exactly what we need! Will you, along with me, turn to Him today for the answer to this dreadful foe—the enemy of Coronavirus?