Pandemic Perseverance
I have to admit, the deeper into this pandemic crisis we get, the harder it has been. In the last week we’ve had moments of struggle to hold it together as a family. There has been hurt between us, frustration, silence and avoidance, desperation, bouts of depression, self-pity, lack of motivation, anger, and feelings of helplessness – even toward helping each other.
Of course there has also been the sweetness of forgiveness and rays of God’s grace in the midst of it all. I confess our own struggles to say that not being without hope is not to be without hardship. I know that God is faithful, he has not left us to fight our battles alone, and that he has intended and is doing good through all that we’re going through in this season. It may get harder to realize as we wake up deeper into the Valley of the Shadow, but we must find ways to remember.
If you’re anything like me, Coronavirus news is beginning to wear thin. Enough is enough! We just want this to be over. For that reason this will be my last post on considering how God could use this pandemic to further the cause of the gospel throughout the world in the years to come. My goal has not been to pontificate as some self-appointed prophet or as any kind of viral expert. I simply want us to meditate on the fact that God is committed to build his church (Matt 16:18), that his ways are often not our ways (Isaiah 55:9), and that the gospel has often spread like wildfire in seasons we least expect (Acts 8:1,4; Acts 11:19; Acts 12:24).
Here are the seven ways I suggested God could be at work through Coronavirus with a brief explanation:
- Freeing from comfort – see Dying to Live
- Focusing on Christ in the face of death – see Dying to Live
- Fueling courage – Amidst all the political negativity there are hundreds of stories of courage emerging every day. Doctors and nurses putting themselves at risk to care for patients while having to distance themselves from their own families. Here in Kijabe, Dr. Shirk admits the higher risk she puts herself in walking into the hospital each day, but says it is a holy privilege and “worth the risk.” The thing about courage is that it usually grows with use. What if God is building courage in future missionaries?
- Forming community – It may seem that community is getting harder to foster in the age of social distancing and Zoom. The news reveals a degree of discord and bickering more than a unified purpose. But there are encouraging signs as well. The ability to worship together with a worldwide body and experience a solidarity as Christians throughout the globe will not be long forgotten when this is all over. Think if the Lord would use that solidarity to form communities of cooperation among churches and mission organizations in the cause of reaching the unreached and unengaged!
- Fostering creativity – Christian websites are being accessed over 50% more during this time and those organizations are asking God for creative ways to bring gospel hope to those hungry for answers. People have figured out how to make ventilators out of supplies readily available, like wood, piping, wires, and switches. Our own RVA community came together to make face masks and protective clothing for Kijabe Hospital. One staff member is exploring ways of turning a broken printer into face shields. Creativity flows in times of crises! Can we harness that creativity and build on this momentum to reach into Christ-less nations which are impossible to enter?
- Forcing local church mobilization – A major goal of our organization, Africa Inland Mission, is to mobilize the national churches in Africa to reach neighboring peoples with the gospel. With some missionaries being encouraged or made to return home, it’s my hope that local believers would take up the mantle themselves to “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” I believe this is happening. The Toposa of South Sudan have recently committed to engaging 74 new villages in their area with the gospel of Christ!
- Filling up Christ’s afflictions – It can be an act of faith for a missionary to either go or to stay in a certain situation. Sometimes faith means staying, sometimes going. But there’s no doubt that missionaries choosing to stay with their people through difficulty speaks volumes about the sacrificial love of Jesus. Coworkers here have told us the people from their village in Tanzania are amazed they are not leaving because of the virus. Perhaps some will be more receptive to the gospel message?
Every single day someone tells them: “Get out of Africa while you still can!” But those who are able—They stay.
Because there is solidarity in shared danger.
Serge missions update
Because it is a holy privilege and worth the risk.
Because people who are hurting and afraid need Immanuel—
God with them.