Our role as Christians during this pandemic goes well beyond meeting basic human needs. Each member of the Texas Christian Community Development Network has a type of priestly role to help those who are afraid, confused and maybe even angry about the chaos caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Listening to the under-resourced in our communities who may lose jobs, housing and even their own health is our privilege. We cannot “fix” it, but we can stand in the gap as God’s representatives to assure them he is there. God has been there through centuries of suffering and pain of his people.

Throughout history, human suffering has impacted millions of people. Whether from plagues like the Black Death in the 14th century; pandemics such as smallpox, cholera, HIV/AIDS and Ebola; or from extreme poverty, wars, natural disasters or political corruption, pain and death have impacted billions of families. Pain seems to be everywhere.

Why does God allow suffering?

How could a good God allow such pain and suffering? Regardless of one’s religion or worldview, there is a deep need—especially in times of crisis—to understand the source of the problem. Even those who have been numbed by a secular existential mindset often are awakened to the reality of death as a reality that draws near.

The thousands of teens and young adults who played beach volleyball for days and drank too much beer during their spring breaks eventually see things differently when a relative, friend or acquaintance dies from a disease, accident or crisis. Funerals have a subtle way of jump-starting the big questions of life.

There are those who simply believe if there is a God, then he/she/it is distant and unconcerned for situations we mortals face.

While the major religions differ on the source and cause of human suffering, Christianity is not singular in its answer.

Some believe pandemics like COVID-19 are sent as punishment for a rebellious world, often quoting “end-times” verses out of Revelation.

Others believe suffering is primarily God’s way of deepening the faith of those who have lived shallow and compromising lifestyles to help them recognize their finitude and commitment.

Other followers of Christ are comfortable with a high view of the sovereignty of God and trust he is in control and can be trusted amidst all the trials of life we cannot understand.

How could a good God suffer?

Perhaps a better question than how a good God can allow suffering might be, “How can it be that a good God also can suffer?”

The word “compassion” comes from words that mean “to enter the pain.” For many Christians, feeling sorry for someone who is struggling is enough. Yet, the very essence of historical Christianity is God through Christ is a compassionate God and “became flesh” and took on our pain and suffering by his sacrifice and suffering. He enters our pain.

How can a “good person” allow suffering?

While certainly we should be thankful the coronavirus cannot be compared to the Black Death, perhaps these unique days of pandemic offer us a chance to ask big questions that matter.

Could it be one outcome of our stay-home retreats is to spend some time reflecting on our own lives?

Can we genuinely explore our own compassion threshold to enter the pain of others across the street or around the world?

Do we care for the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the immigrant and all those who are suffering in ways we cannot imagine?

Then can we ask ourselves, “What am I doing about it?”

Jimmy Dorrell is the executive director of Mission Waco and pastor of Church Under the Bridge. He also is a part-time professor at Baylor University and Truett Theological Seminary. This article first appeared on the TxCCDN website on Mar. 20, 2020, and is adapted and republished by permission. The views expressed are those of the author.

My Sunday school class is one of the Lord’s greatest blessings in my life. So, the decision not to meet as a group this week was not one I took lightly.

Every Sunday, we sit in a room together and share the hope of the gospel. We study this hope in Scripture. We pray for those in our lives and world who are hungry for hope. We discuss how as a class and church we can share this hope in the world. I often leave my class challenged, and I always leave reminded of the hope we share.

Not being able to hear the voices of my class over the coffee maker or see their smiles when I attempt a joke this week made me feel hopeless. When will we eat Sister Schubert rolls together again? How long do I have to wait to hear those I love flip through the thin paper pages of their Bibles? Will it be months before the metal chairs scrape on the tile floors as we scoot closer together in a circle?

Getting the word out I didn’t want to send

I needed to email my class to say we wouldn’t meet this week. I needed to let them know, just as our church decided not to gather for worship on Sunday, we should not gather.

Wednesday night, I was on the phone with a good friend asking what in the world I should say beyond a mere “meeting canceled.” He replied: “Maddie, what people really need right now is hope. Say something hopeful.”

Several days ago, a professor reminded us we are in the season of Lent, a reminder we Baptists especially need to hear.

We are at the point in the church calendar when we actively expect Easter. We live expectantly by fasting and repenting. We recognize redemption has come, and the sacrifice was necessary. We recognize redemption has come but not yet in full.

Sending hope

In this hope, I wrote:

Remember, this is Lent. Lent is a season of prayerful reflection; so, do just that.

As a friend of mine recently said, “The only way to know the joy of the Feast of Easter is to fast in the 40 days.”

Contemplate what it means to practice Lent. Contemplate what it means to fast, even and maybe especially in a pandemic. Not just fasting because the grocery store ran out of apples for the day, but fasting for our redemption and the redemption of the world.

What do we need to fast from so that we might fast for?

In essence, fasting recognizes we must repent. What do we as individuals, the church and humanity need to repent of?

We have not experienced the full redemption of God. Fasting recognizes this truth.

Lent recognizes that we wait. We wait and we pray and we strive toward faithfulness. We wait, not knowing when the pandemic will end. We wait, not knowing when Christ will return.

However, we do not wait sitting idly by and twiddling our God-made thumbs. We wait on our knees in prayer. We wait in thoughtful contemplation. We wait in giving of ourselves to each other and the world.

We wait actively, knowing redemption will come in fullness.

We have received a taste of hope. We share this hope. We wait for this hope. Easter is coming. Hope has come and is coming. Let’s practice Lent in hope.

Maddie Rarick is a student at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. She teaches the graduate student Sunday school class at First Baptist Church in Waco.

The phrase “social distancing” is an interesting one. When social distancing began to be discussed in the United States, I much preferred the phrase to the alternative “quarantine” because it felt less limiting and imprisoning.

After about a week under the oppressive dominion of COVID-19, a friend pointed out to me even “social distancing” is an unnecessary chain weighing us down amidst an already nigh unbearably weighty time.

Social distancing is, in truth, the last thing we should be doing right now. In place of “social distancing,” my friend insists on the phrase “physical distancing.”

Contrasting physical and social distancing

Physical distancing is a kindness that helps to keep the world spinning. Physical distancing is about safety, preserving the health of both ourselves and those closest to us. It is a considerate, compassionate and deliberate act for the good of others. It is a sacrifice being made for the sake of the vulnerable.

Isn’t love, by its very definition and nature, sacrificial? Isn’t that what Christ did for us?

Social distancing is isolation, its name implying total separation. It is a poison willingly chugged, like a man dying of thirst convinced his salvation lies at the bottom of the bottle.

I can be physically distant from you and still maintain a life-giving, albeit diminished, relationship. But socially distanced? That is a severance of the ties that bind us, a total surrender of community and is acceptance of a life of abject isolation.

A socially distant culture

The more I think about it, though, the more “social distancing” seems suited to our culture. Have we not been already, in some way and slowly but surely, socially distancing from one another?

We can blame cell phones or social media or TV, but our addictions to these and the neglect of our interpersonal relationships through them merely are a symptom of a deeper problem. We all are disconnected. Worse still, we like it that way.

In our western culture—especially America—we like to consider ourselves rugged individualists and self-sufficient Clint Eastwood-types who scarcely would break a sweat pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We revel in our individualism, complain about the horrors of other people, and chase longingly after the maximum amount of alone time, because when I am by myself, my desires face no challengers for my attention.

Solitude in place of social distance

Everyone needs some amount of alone time, of course. Some solitude is healthy and good, particularly when getting away to be with God. Jesus illustrates such solitude clearly throughout the Gospels.

But in our pursuit of this prayer model of Christ, we have wed it forcibly to our Western individualism and made an idol from the resulting twisted version of solitude. When solitude is our god, other people inevitably become demons who would lure us away from it.

At this point, some readers may be clamoring for their phones, racing to pull up videos of Italian citizens joining in song across abandoned streets from their individual homes. But this is my point precisely. We lunge blindly after solitude.

The deepest cry of our hearts is for community because that is how God designed us. Humans are not solitary creatures; at least, we’re not meant to be. We long for social interaction, and to be starved of physical contact can be on par with physical pain.

The events of the past week drive this point home as I’ve heard people consistently lament the isolation, which is nothing compared to what many others are experiencing. We need each other, because in the words of Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for man to be alone.”

What I hope for from social distancing

As a very social person who struggles to sit at home alone, I may be biased. But I hope this terrible turn of events can be eye-opening to us as a culture.

I hope we will see how much we need one another.

I hope we will see each other not as tools to fulfill our needs or, worse, outright obstacles to our happiness, but as brothers and sisters with whom to walk through life.

I hope we can start to see more fully how each of us can brighten each other’s days and enrich each other’s lives through the unique gifts, personality and perspective each of us brings.

I hope we start to see the image of God in every single person and treasure them as the image bearers they are.

I hope we treasure the time we get to spend with one another and not take it for granted.

Until this is over and we can see whether we bring the lessons we’ve learned about ourselves and others with us, I implore you to practice physical distancing as good stewards of others’ health.

Even more deeply, I implore you to abhor social distancing. Pour that poison down the drain, and share of the cup of life with those around you.

Trent Richardson is a student at Dallas Theological Seminary and the student ministry intern at Valley Ranch Baptist Church.

“When the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first.” – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

I firmly believe the church will thrive during this pandemic. In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis writes, “Indeed the safest road to Hell is a gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

We have been blessed with a major milestone. We now are living in days filled with signposts. When the church pens her next history, she will write of the days of COVID-19. Yet, it will not be lament. It will be a joyful song.

Here are six reasons why the church will thrive in pandemic:

The church will thrive in prayer

Schools have closed. Churches have moved online. Emergency declarations have been made. People worldwide now live in a state of uncertainty and have plenty of time on their hands. The church worldwide now is left to pray.

The church will cry out to God for wisdom, plead for safety and protection, and beg for the sparks of revival. And God will answer his people.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (Philippians 1:3-6).

The church will thrive in community

The church never was limited to buildings or programs. The church always has been people united together by the common Savior, Jesus Christ. A decentralized church is church at its best.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).

The church will thrive as light in darkness

During this pandemic, the world will spew partisan politics, fear tactics, hoarding behavior and worse. Yet, the church will spread hope—legitimate hope. We will be carriers of abundant life and eternal life in Jesus Christ. In the midst of darkness, the church will shine.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

The church will thrive in God’s plan

During my college days, I served as a congressional intern in a United States congressman’s local office. I was a tiny part of great conversations and big ideas. Yet, I never witnessed much change. I walked away from that experience convinced the greatest source of change is the local church. The church always has been God’s plan. That truth must never be forgotten.

And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18).

The church will thrive in creativity

Within my own church, I was amazed at how quickly a plan came together to “do church” within the confines of crowd restrictions and infectious disease. I believe that only will increase as the restrictions continue in the days ahead.

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19).

The church will thrive due to its power source

I believe the church will thrive because of the church’s power source. The church does not derive power from anyone other than the God who spoke the world into existence.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Jeff Gravens is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs. This article is republished from his blog. The views expressed are those of the author.

It is easy and difficult to pray right now. It is easy because I now am keenly aware of just how dependent I am upon God and how little power I have. It is difficult, however, because there is so much needing prayer.

Sickness. Death. Rising unemployment. Tanking economies. The list goes on and on.

As I have found myself overwhelmed by the number of issues needing intercession, I also have found myself heavily leaning on the Lord’s Prayer—the most widely known and used prayer among Christians throughout history—which primarily is based on Matthew 6:9-13.

First things first

When Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray, he begins with the glory, kingdom and purposes of our Father in heaven (6:9-10). By fronting these elements, Jesus emphasizes the focus of the prayer is not us, our wants or even our legitimate needs. The focus is God.

Of the prayer’s 57 words in Greek—not counting the doxology at the end—24 are committed to this section. That’s nearly half the prayer.

And while the doxology—“For yours is the kingdom…”—is a later scribal addition, it nevertheless is a true and worthy statement underscoring the centrality Jesus places on God’s glory, kingdom and purposes.

Right now, this dimension of the Lord’s Prayer may be the most challenging and the most important. Understandably, many of us are turning our focus to our immediate needs: health, food, housing, job security, etc. These all are legitimate needs for prayer, yet we should not grant them primacy.

Even in this time of great need and uncertainty, our focus as Christians always should be upon God. We ought to give our attention to the work of God’s kingdom. We ought to direct others’ focus to the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

This will be challenging, no doubt. I myself frequently catch my mind occupied by my own concerns. But regularly praying the Lord’s Prayer, and doing so with conviction and sincerity rather than by rote, helps reframe my thoughts and push them back towards God. It should do so for all of us.

Our daily bread

It would be a significant mistake, however, to see God’s glory and purposes as necessarily at odds with our needs in this world.

In 6:11, Jesus instructs us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (NASB). While Jesus explicitly addresses only “bread,” I think it is reasonable to see the bread as a representative for our basic needs as a whole.

We need food. We need housing. We need medicine. We need employment. We need many things in order to survive day-to-day. God cares and involves himself in such concerns. His gracious provision for our needs is part of his kingdom purposes and brings him glory.

However, we should not assume God’s answer to this petition necessarily will be a miraculous raining of bread from the sky. In fact, God’s answer most often will take the form of his providence acting in and through human agents. For example, by buying and delivering groceries for others, we can live out the Lord’s Prayer, being part of the answer God provides.

Moreover, this section of the prayer confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: What we need most certainly is not always what we want. Many Americans—myself included—are accustomed to living in relative luxury. But the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed what we truly need is far less than what we want and are used to.

Our greatest need

Jesus concludes by highlighting another need of ours, one even greater than our need for “daily bread.” Jesus finishes this prayer by addressing sin, temptation, forgiveness and deliverance from evil (6:12-13).

Current pandemic conditions may cause us to forget our relationship with God is not automatically peachy-keen. We are trapped under bondage to sin and death, as is creation itself. The fundamental problem is our willful, obstinate rebellion against a good and holy God (Genesis 3; Romans 8:20-23; Ephesians 2:1-3). This pandemic itself is one of the Fall’s poisonous fruits.

Moreover, there are conscious, active and personal powers of evil at work in this world (Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8). “From evil” could also be translated “from the evil one,” referring to the devil (Matthew 6:13).

Western modernity and postmodernity have tended to downplay or outright reject the realities of sin and “supernatural” evil. Our cultural default is to regard such things as primitive superstitions, holdovers from a pre-enlightened age, fictions dreamt up to legitimate power and oppression. But sin, the devil and his angels are very real and very dangerous.

Only God can save us from wickedness. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and in our place. He has paid our debt (Romans 3:21-26; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 21). In his death and resurrection, Christ has not only paid our debt, he has defeated the hostile spiritual powers of this age (Colossians 2:13-15). And Christ has poured out the Holy Spirit to sanctify his people (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 1:2).

‘Pray, then, in this way … ’

The Lord’s Prayer is not just a quaint tradition. It is a biblical truth and a powerful antidote to the malaise that threatens our prayer life both during a pandemic and during everyday existence.

Are you overwhelmed? Are you unsure of how to pray in this crazy season of world history? Then I encourage you to pray the Lord’s Prayer and to do so with sincerity and conviction.

Is your prayer life doing perfectly fine? I still would encourage you to pray the Lord’s Prayer on a regular basis.

Let the truths of this prayer suffuse your soul. Turn your eyes to behold the glory of God. Commit to his kingdom work. Trust the Lord to provide for your needs. Praise him for delivering you from sin and death.

Joshua Sharp is a Master of Divinity student and graduate assistant in the Office of Ministry Connections at Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

Social distancing. Prior to this past month, how often have we considered this now widely used term? And yet, in under a month this term has redefined every aspect of our lives.

As we all seek to adjust to the ever-changing recommendations concerning “social distancing” while we combat the spread of COVID-19, not only are our dining and workout habits, our schools, our social gatherings, our politics, our grocery shopping and our jobs affected, but our spiritual lives are impacted as well.

We often remind each other the church is not merely a building, but as countless Christians worship online over the coming weeks, we are faced with adding reality to that sentiment.

Giving up touch

When we encounter Jesus in Scripture, physical touch is commonly involved—the woman who touched his robe and was healed, Jesus rubbing his spit and dirt in the eyes of a blind man, a woman wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair, Thomas touching the scars in Jesus’ hands. Over and over, we see the power of touch in the ministry of Jesus.

As the body of Christ, we, too, find ourselves naturally in contact with others as we live out the gospel. From communion to corporate prayer, to hospital and nursing home visits, to food banks and other ministries, we often find ourselves in close proximity.

We routinely grasp hands, share potluck dinners, and our teens often squeeze more people into a pew than previously thought possible. These common habits now are on hiatus.

How do we continue to love our neighbor when we can’t be in groups larger than 10, must keep six feet of distance, and rightfully are barred from nursing homes or hospital visits? Our communal life will look radically different for the coming weeks. So, what are we to do?

Taking up hope

In 2020, we certainly have more access to people outside of our physical proximity than previous generations dependent on letters or long-distance phone calls. But still, the isolation and lack of physical proximity, coupled with the news concerning COVID-19, can be discouraging and frightening for many.

We must continue to find our hope in God. Consider these words Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote to his niece and her husband in May 1944 during his imprisonment in Germany due to his opposition to Hitler:

“It grieves me, of course, that the unexpected has happened and once again I am unable to celebrate this day with you, but I’ve become quite reconciled to it. I believe nothing that happens to me is without meaning, and that it is all right for all of us, even though it goes against our wishes. As I see it, I’m here for some purpose, and I only hope I may fulfill it.”

Granted, we are not enduring what Bonhoeffer had to experience, but his words can help each of us adjust to this current season as we minister to those who are suffering.

Giving purpose to the present

Can we social distance with purpose and meaning? Our smartphones give us an unprecedented ability to connect with small or large groups while still practicing social distancing. Additionally, our churches, schools, companies and organizations have leveraged this technology to remain connected, to continue meetings and classes and to press on with the tasks at hand. And this is good.

However, increased connection via a screen does not replace the importance of physical presence. Sharing or feeling empathy through a phone screen has its limits.

In Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt’s The Coddling of the American Mind, Jean Twenge, a social psychologist from San Diego State University who has studied the various effects the “virtual” world and the “real” world have on the human psyche, states:

“It is worth remembering that humans’ neural architecture evolved under conditions of close, mostly continuous face-to-face contact with others (including non-visual and non-auditory contact; i.e., touch, olfaction), and that a decrease in or removal of a system’s key inputs may risk destabilization of the system.”

In other words, as much as our screens may help us connect with the outside world, they cannot fulfill the innate desire of physical presence and experience. We must be creative in providing these necessary experiences for those who live alone during this time of social distancing, utilizing tangible forms of interaction that don’t disappear when the screen is turned off.

For those living with others, we need to make sure our face-to-face time with family is not neglected in favor of the ever-enticing allure of social media—particularly social media, as Lukianoff and Haidt share, that tend to “amplify social comparison rather than social connection.”

Lean into God

How can we utilize this time to bring glory to God? Stresses related to jobs, income and economic calamity can paralyze us in fear. Worrying about loved ones who work on the frontlines of the medical community, fretting for those at high risk from the disease, or balancing full-time jobs with new homeschooling responsibilities can squelch our joy, particularly when there is no outside social escape.

Again, turning to Bonhoeffer’s letter earlier referenced, he wrote:

“It’s my personal opinion that the next few weeks will bring such great and surprising events that one truly doesn’t know at the beginning of your leave how things will be by the end. As much as these events will affect our personal destinies, I do hope they won’t rob you of the essential peace of your days together.”

By leaning into the presence of God, we can strive to maintain the hope we need to live life to the fullest, even when it may seem much has come to a grinding halt.

Look for blessing

This week, the faculty with whom I serve quickly adapted to move classes online for our students, while overcoming unexpected obstacles and realities, both at work and at home. In the heart of the semester, everything changed and continues to change rapidly.

A couple of mornings ago, as I was slogging my way through the Book of Numbers, I shared with my faculty Numbers 6:24-26. There, nestled in the intricacies and complexities of Nazirite hair care instructions, God drops this blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

During this time of social distancing, when our communal lives may lack the face-to-face interactions to which we are so accustomed, we can know God continually blesses us by turning his face toward us and shining his face on us. May we, this week, catch a glimpse of God’s face.

Jack Goodyear is the dean of the Cook School of Leadership and professor of political science at Dallas Baptist University. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

Once again, our God has allowed us the privilege to spread the spirit of hope in the midst of dire conditions and uncertain times.

I have asked people who are many years my senior if they had ever known a time when the physical doors of the church were closed. The answer I am receiving from these octogenarians is “no.” However, not one of those senior adults is afraid “the end is near.”

Many people are in a quandary, and their day-to-day routines are being interrupted by an enemy they cannot see. As “people of faith,” we have been preaching and teaching the real enemy is one we could not ever see with our human eyes. Yet, the real enemy of humanity is spiritual in nature, and the word of God has revealed that fact to us all through the inspired writing of the Apostle Paul.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, ESV).

Facing our opportunity

We now have the opportunity to use this present crisis to our evangelistic advantage. Few can deny the new coronavirus (COVID 19) is invisible to the naked eye. It is an enemy that is a clear and present danger to life as we know it.

Now is the time for Christians to go on the offensive and share the truths of the gospel with the hopeless masses who are being confronted with their mortality. While people are at home and literally captive, we can use our social media platforms to encourage them to find their hope in Christ our Savior and Sovereign.

Modern technology has placed us closer to each other, and we now can communicate with our friends, family and congregants like never before. Now, for the first time in modern history, our fellow church members can invite their family members to join them in worship no matter their location or proximity.

Literally thousands of people can participate in free conference calls that can be transformed into “virtual prayer sessions” by merely dialing in on the telephone. The marvel of social media platforms can link congregations together while people sit in the comforts of their homes.

The beginning of a new thing

I do believe God is doing a new thing with our churches, our fellow congregants and the church universal. Like the octogenarians who I spoke to about our present crisis, I don’t believe oblivion is near. I believe this is the beginning of a new phase in the life of the church.

We know from our understanding of Scripture that the church is not the brick and mortar of our buildings. The true church resides in the heart of the believer in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Cheer up! We are blessed to be alive and a part of this new thing God is doing through his church. That’s you!

Rev. Dr. Michael Evans Sr. is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas, and the president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. This article is republished by permission of Texas Baptists.

My husband began our morning phone call from the office with a trepidatious tone of voice. “I don’t want you to be worried about this but … ”

As he spoke, I sat gazing out the large panoramic window to my backyard as the mourning dove gathered around to feed. I just completed my morning prayer and scriptural meditation time, savoring the spiritual calm.

He continued: “My whole IT team has been sent home as of Monday. Ted on my team has had indirect contact with the guy from Frisco (Texas) who has the coronavirus.”

My husband knew none of this until he arrived at work on Wednesday, two days after his team was sent home for quarantine. Our family spring break travels had given my husband some time off, and he discovered the news when he walked into an empty office.

I drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “How do I want to respond to this,” I thought?

I decided to pray and seek God’s wisdom first. After a few moments of praying, I felt God’s peace take hold, and I made the choice not to be afraid.

Finding freedom from fear

Opportunities like this enable us to see the freedom we have in Christ. Fear once ruled my life, and by the time I was in my mid 20s, it consumed me. Thankfully, God intervened, and I surrendered by proclaiming Jesus as Lord of my life.

Implementing spiritual disciplines like prayer and scriptural meditation slowly loosened the death grip fear had over me. With time, a rock-solid faith in Jesus took hold, and I have a serene outlook most days.

My Christian brothers and sisters, it is time to take hold of the peace offered to you. It is time to stand firm in faith and believe you don’t have to succumb to the fears of this world.

John 14:27 confirms this as Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (NIV).

Peace from Christ gives you security in your soul that says, “Everything will be okay.”

Would you like to take hold of this God-given gift today?

Steps to peace

If so, here are three simple steps to put you on the pathway to peace.

Pray. Faith in action begins by praying. Walking through the day without taking time to pray makes us vulnerable to spiritual darkness. In fact, Ephesians 6:18 says to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (NIV). Prayer is the first line of defense to protect us and our loved ones in a multitude of ways.

Here is a simple prayer of protection: “Heavenly Father, I come to you today because I need your guidance, wisdom and direction regarding all circumstances in my life. I pray you would shield me from any harm, evil or illness that’s intended for my loved ones or me. I ask you to help me be the person you created me to be, a child of God strong in the power of Christ. I pray when fear comes my way, I would replace it with faith-filled truth. Please forgive me when I doubt. I trust in you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Meditate on Scripture. Be in God’s word daily. This can be done anytime, but starting the day with biblical truth guards our hearts and minds against the lies of the enemy. The Scriptures compare the Bible to a sword (Ephesians 6:17), slaying various untruths hurled our way. Reading God’s word and letting it soak into our spirits supplies hope, encouragement, strength and the confidence needed to be discerning about godly wisdom versus worldly wisdom.

Study these scriptures to combat fear: 1 Peter 3:14; Psalm 91; Ephesians 6; Psalm 56:3; Isaiah 35:4; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 34:4.

Speak truth: Affirm what you know to be true of God’s character. The spoken word is powerful, and repetition of truth diminishes the domination fear has in our hearts and minds. Scripture is the reference point for all words of affirmation.

Affirm phrases of truth like the following to proclaim faith over fear:

God is in control. God is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present. God can heal all my diseases. All of God’s ways are perfect. God is working for my good. All things are possible with God.

Jesus is the King of kings. Jesus gives me life and gives it abundantly. Jesus loves me. Jesus will never leave me. The Lord is my strength and my shield. I can do all things through Christ.

As you take time to soak in God’s word, try creating your own truth-filled affirmations derived from Scripture. Write them down and have them readily accessible to read and repeat whenever fear tries to creep in.

Now is the time for faith

Now is the time to show the world we walk by faith, not by sight. It is an opportunity to shine like the light of the Lord and be a beacon of hope to those who need it. It is a time for Christian renewal and revival to spring forth and rise up in our nation.

If you are wavering in your faith, take hold of these simple, yet life-giving ways Jesus is evident in your life. With time, practice and diligence, you will have a renewed sense of peace that can be attributed only to those who walk closely with Christ.

Miranda Jo Davis is a member of Christ Chapel Bible Church in Fort Worth, Texas, where she serves in ministry as a biblical counselor, prayer minister and contributing writer. Her highest calling this side of eternity is to be a godly wife and a loving mother to her two boys.

In the face and wake of COVID-19, there are legitimate concerns: the “what abouts.” What about jobs? What about paychecks? What about access to health care? What about groceries? What about our families? What about our neighbors? What about . . . ?

One of my biggest concerns about the new coronavirus is how it may change our relationships. We are a social culture. Despite our increasing tendency to bury ourselves in our devices, we still work together, live together, play together, go to school together and do church together.

That last one is particularly important for many of us right now. Read each word: We … do … church … together. Church is not a solitary, isolated thing. Yet, here we are.

More important than what we do is who we are. We are made for relationships, for being social, for being together. It’s who we are. Having to stay away from people we normally spend our lives with cuts directly across our need to stay close—even if we’re introverts.

For years, though, we have been socially distancing ourselves as our addiction to ourselves and our devices grows and as our society becomes increasingly polarized. We just haven’t given that distancing the kind of attention a viral pandemic can generate.

Yes, it’s still early. It’s not time to panic about our relationships, too—not that we need to panic about anything. But because it’s still early, now’s the time to give attention to how to stay connected while we are separated.

Social distance cannot be the new normal. In being responsible citizens by maintaining social distance, we need to be sure we maintain social connection. It’s the nature of our connection and our need to be connected to one another that will outlast coronavirus.

Looking at separation

A pandemic is effective at generating fear, anxiety and panic. Afraid, anxious and panicked people can turn on one another, even in the best times. And this isn’t the best of times.

Thankfully, this isn’t the worst of times, either. We can’t lose sight of that.

But since this is not the best of times, we must be more attentive to how social distancing can add to fear, anxiety and panic. I say “add to” because fear and anxiety already are features of our society.

Distrust is one outcome of the sort of social distancing I mentioned above. Getting lost in ourselves and our devices and being pulled apart by polarization creates and feeds on distrust. When we don’t trust someone, we already are prone to pull back, to lash out, to be unkind or disrespectful toward that person, to hoard for ourselves or to cut off others. But distrust cannot build a community, a society or a kingdom.

If we already are distancing from each other, the social distancing we are asked to do now could pull us away from the positive and balancing influences we need to keep our communities together … unless we are mindful of the risk and work intentionally to stay close while we are physically apart.

Intentionally staying connected

How can we maintain our connection while we maintain our distance?

Thankfully, many of us have become adept at connecting digitally. Unfortunately, we already have allowed ourselves to be shaped negatively in the digital space. During these days of being physically separated, we need to reassess how we connect to each other online.

We need to make the most productive and positive use of social media platforms, communicating more hope than concern in our social media posts.

As others have noted, our digital devices give us the ability to continue “face to face” conversations and interactions even when we can’t be together in person. Video call someone.

I’ll never forget the first time I prayed with a group of people while on a video conference; that was more than 10 years ago. It felt odd, and I looked up a few times to watch the others pray because, well, I’d never prayed with others that way before.

I’ll also never forget my grandmother’s reaction to seeing and talking with my family by video chat. She was in Albuquerque, and we were in Virginia. She was amazed almost to the point of speechlessness. That also was more than 10 years ago. My grandmother was born in the 1920s and experienced many changes in the world. Praying together, talking together and staying connected by video is “old hat” for many now; let’s make the best use of it.

Churches with an online presence are positioned well to make good use of this period of social distancing. Many of them already provide video of their worship services and can continue to keep their congregations connected through corporate worship. In doing so, churches will need to be intentional about keeping corporate worship communal and not letting it slip into voyeurism.

Lingering effects of social distancing

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” That’s what they say, whoever “they” are. “They” also say long-distance relationships don’t last. Growing fonder doesn’t happen by accident. It must be sought after and worked toward. Long-distance relationships work when both parties trust each other and stay connected.

During social distancing, our devices will not bring us closer. They are only tools giving us the ability to stay close, if we will use them for that purpose. We are the responsible parties; we are the ones who must decide and do the work of staying close and growing closer, even though we must keep our distance for a while. This will not be easy.

Based on trends in civic participation, church attendance and other measures of social connection, we have been pulling apart for years. We have been losing trust in each other. These present days of social distancing, if we are not careful, can move us further in the direction we’re already going.

Or, as so many are saying, social distancing can make us better people, better communities and a better society if we will remember who we are made to be. We are made to be together, and there hasn’t been anything come along yet that has changed the way God made us to be.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com or on Twitter at @EricBlackBSP. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

I’ve always considered myself an “outgoing introvert,” meaning I like people but prefer to be alone. It’s almost a week into social distancing, and I’m already starting to question if I’m actually a full-blown extrovert.

I find myself craving human interaction, and my house is feeling a little smaller than normal. My ongoing inner refrain has become, “This is what caring for your neighbor looks like,” and I’ve worked it into mindfulness exercises during these last few days.

Social distancing for our neighbor’s sake

Social distancing essentially is keeping a safe distance between you and another individual. Six feet is recommended. The hope is the more space between you and other people, the less the virus will spread.

Even though I am a healthy young adult, I could pass the virus unknowingly to someone in a more vulnerable situation, such as an elderly adult or someone who is immune-compromised. So, even though I most likely would be OK if I caught this virus, my job right now is to make sure I keep my neighbor safe. “Neighbor” literally means everyone in the United States and the world.

Causing no harm to my neighbor reminds me of the ancient Egyptian practice of negative confession in which causing no harm to one’s neighbors was considered an act of mercy.

While we all know social distancing is imperative right now, I think we can affirm it is hard. God created us to be in community with one another. That community usually looks like attending community events together, worshipping together, having game nights together or being in the office together.

When practicing social distancing and even self-quarantine, all of those opportunities essentially disappear. We’re left in our homes by ourselves or with our families as we try to sort through fact and fiction on social media.

What we’re learning through social distancing

It seems we’re finding out a couple of things through this pandemic. First, we’re realizing we truly need each other. We need people to run to the store for us. We need grocers to continue stocking the shelves. We need to work together to keep people fed as schools and businesses shut down for the next few weeks. We need to see people and talk about everything going on in the world. When we have to take necessary precautions, we miss out on seeing God through his people, which takes a toll on us.

We’ve also learned social distancing doesn’t necessarily mean social isolation. It can become social isolation easily, but with the technology available to most of us, we can figure out ways to connect with each other.

I don’t want to downplay any of the very real feelings being experienced. Many reading this most likely are what Mr. Rogers would call “helpers.” We want to help people, which is hard right now when “helping people” looks like staying at home. Again, we are practicing an absence of harming others as an act of mercy.

Many of us also live with anxiety on a daily basis, and this pandemic makes life almost debilitating. We have loved ones we care about, and we want to make sure they are cared for and safe. All of those things can push us easily into depression and anxiety that makes reaching out for social interaction even harder.

Ways to be social from a distance

One of the more powerful “social interactions” I was a part of this week was our Sunday worship service. This was done via Facebook Live so we all could “be together” from our own homes, where we wouldn’t spread any germs.

As we went through responsive reading, prayer, Scripture and the sermon, each of us could see the number of viewers and who was watching with us. We saw names of church members who had moved to different cities, and we knew they were worshipping with us that day. We talked about things we were afraid of, and also things that give us hope and promise. It was a communal, sacred experience where we all came together as one, despite being in different physical spaces.

I’ve also learned video chatting is so important during these times. It connects us to people across the country, while also protecting each other. It allows us to have a coffee date with a friend while being across town. It helps moms and dads stay sane as they’re in the house with kiddos home from schools and daycares. It reminds us there is life outside the walls of our houses and that continuing to connect with each other is important for our overall well-being.

I’ve also seen how social media can be used for good things. Yes, social media can also exasperate mental health concerns during this time, but it can also bring us together. I’ve seen educational, physical and emotional resources shared via social media. I’ve seen pastors share tips and pointers on how to bring Sunday worship to everyone in their own homes.

In a way, we all are trying to look out for one another, while also trying to protect the most vulnerable in our society. This is another act of mercy.

Counting our blessings and remembering others

As I process what being social looks like right now, I am reminded of my privilege. I have a wonderful supervisor who insisted I work from home for the time being. As of now, I am not at risk of losing my income, and neither is my spouse. We have a stocked pantry and technology to connect us to family and friends, even though we are practicing social distancing.

I recognize what I have is not the case for all members of our communities. I recognize this pandemic is impacting others in a very real and life-changing way. For many people, it’s not an option to work from home or stay home if they are sick. As we talk about ways to stay connected despite social distancing, we must remember these individuals and pray for their well-being.

May we care for each other well. May we love each other well. May we offer God’s grace and kindness with everyone with whom we cross paths, both physically and digitally.

Erin Albin Hill is the coordinator of research projects at the Center for Church and Community Impact in Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. The views expressed are those of the author.

We are living in a changed and changing world. Each day, and sometimes each hour, brings announcements of changes to our daily pattern of living almost unthinkable just a week ago.

A global pandemic places heavy responsibility on some and creates increased workload for many. If you work in IT for a school district or stock shelves at a grocery store, it is likely your workload and responsibility are increasing.

But, as schools and restaurants close, workplaces institute telework policies, churches cancel programs and the frenetic pace of our world painfully and with grinding groans of protest downshifts, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing a slowdown for most in our society.

The mixed bag of a societal slowdown

A pandemic-enforced, society-wide slowdown is a mixed blessing. My family walked our dog last night, and more families than ever were on walks and bike rides yesterday evening. Families are having dinner together and playing board games. Acts of kindness and generosity toward neighbors and at-risk populations abound. Opportunities for witnessing to God’s kingdom abound.

At the same time, elderly friends and family members are quarantined in residential living facilities and can receive no visitors. Crippling financial hardships loom on the horizon for many families. Anxiety about infection is real for many of our neighbors.

With a mixed bag of hope and anxiety, we have been forced into a season resembling Sabbath.

What Sabbath is meant to be

Sabbath is a concept foreign to a culture in which busyness is a virtue. Most associate Sabbath with a dour day of abstention replete with memories of being forced to take unwanted naps on Sunday afternoons.

Puritanical Sabbath associations are misappropriations of Sabbath’s biblical witness. Sabbath is a radical day in the life of God’s people where they work and participate in the most joyful activities God provides in creation. Sabbath is a day for feasting not fasting.

In his book, Sabbath, Dan Allender writes, “Sabbath is the holy time where we feast, play, dance, have sex, sing, pray, laugh, tell stories, read, paint, walk, and watch creation in its fullness.”

Sabbath affords time to read God’s word and pray, to invite neighbors to dinner instead of eating in front of the TV, to read a book instead of checking email.

Sabbath is a day of delight.

Sabbath during difficult times

But the season of COVID-19 does not feel like a season of delight. Although we have been forced to slow down and are invited to Sabbath, we are all-too-aware of the pain, anxiety and loss all around us.

Although it is a day of delight, Sabbath does not ignore the darkness in the world and in our lives. Biblical witness suggests Sabbath flourishes most when circumstances are most difficult. Though there are limited mentions of Sabbath under David, Solomon or the rest of the kings, Sabbath abounds in the two most difficult periods of the Old Testament story.

In the wilderness, when God’s people were placeless for a generation, God granted them a double portion of manna and quail every seventh day so they might not work but rest in God’s presence. They were to tell stories to a younger generation about God’s history with his people and were to worship together. Sabbath becomes a commandment in the wilderness.

In Exile, when God’s people seemingly lost God’s promise of a king, land and temple, they rediscovered in Sabbath what Abraham Joshua Heschel describes as a “temple in time.” On the seventh day, Israelites ceased working for Babylon, gathered together, broke bread, told stories of God’s salvation history with his people, and dreamed new dreams of what it meant to be God’s people.

In their darkest hours, the people of God found joy in and through Sabbath. Joy and delight are found not by ignoring darkness around and within us, but by bringing all of it before God and trusting him with our joy and sorrow, delight and anxiety.

Opportunity for Sabbath

On Sabbath, we are reminded God is God, and we are not. We receive the offer freshly each week to choose whether we will trust in and follow the God who beckons us to rest in him.

We and all of our neighbors are grappling with life in a changed and changing world. We are holding onto anxiety, fear and loss.

We also are being offered the opportunity to slow down. Instead of holding on tightly to all that threatens to overwhelm, might we use this time to bring all we feel and think before God and trust him? Might we use this time to count blessings, gather—virtually or in groups less than 10—with friends for prayer and encouragement? Might we cook dinner for neighbors and look to the needs of those marginalized and facing loss?

By slowing down and experiencing Sabbath, might we find joy in the midst of darkness?

Matt Homeyer is the assistant dean for external affairs for Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. The views expressed are those of the author.

As the respiratory disease called COVID-19 sweeps the globe, it is causing massive disruptions to humanity’s way of life.

Beyond the threat of severe illness and possible death, COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on education, the economy, mental health, relationships, infrastructure, etc. The damage goes far beyond human lungs and will be felt for years to come.

I think it is appropriate to label COVID-19 “apocalyptic.”

Defining an “apocalypse”

Modern English-speakers typically understand an “apocalypse” to be a world-ending cataclysm. “The Apocalypse” is the end of the world, at least as we know it.

We have derived that understanding from the book of Revelation, which has also been called The Apocalypse and which begins with the words, “The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ” (1:1a). Because Revelation describes the final judgment and the sudden destruction of this present world order, we have come to associate apocalypses with the same.

But this is not what the word means. A standard Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament and early Christian literature defines ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis) as “of revelations of a particular kind, through visions, etc.”

An apocalypse is fundamentally a revelation of truths previously hidden. It can be and often is about the end of the world as we know it, but is not necessarily so.

COVID-19 as apocalyptic

I believe this new pandemic is proving to be profoundly apocalyptic. That is, I believe it is revealing many significant and often unpleasant truths which we would rather not face.

Many governments, including our own here in the United States, have floundered in responding to this new threat. Our national infrastructure was completely unprepared for this sort of thing. While widespread shutdowns, travel bans and other restrictions hopefully will mitigate the worst of this crisis, our government made and continues to make many serious missteps.

Many people now are without work, have had their education disrupted, cannot get the medical care they need, etc. The economy is tanking. A microscopic virus has brought the world to its knees and is thoroughly disabusing humanity of the notion we are in control.

But perhaps most disturbingly, this crisis has revealed the fear and selfishness that sits deep in humanity’s heart (Jeremiah 17:9). As panic and hysteria take hold of many people, our response is to lash out at others and protect ourselves. People unnecessarily are stockpiling food and other essential commodities, leading to shortages. People are fist-fighting in grocery stores over toilet paper.

COVID-19 has laid bare the weakness, fear and sinfulness of humanity in a powerful way. Some could argue these realities were not previously “hidden.” Fair enough. But the COVID-19 crisis is shining a bright light upon them and forcing us to face the facts.

An apocalyptic Savior

However, there is another previously “hidden” truth this pandemic has brought to the fore. We humans cannot save this world; we cannot even save ourselves. But there is someone who can.

The book of Revelation gives a picture of Jesus quite distinct from those found elsewhere in the New Testament. One of the key images of Christ that emerges is “the Alpha and the Omega … who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (1:8). Christ was dead, but now he is alive forever, and he holds “the keys of Death and Hades” (1:18).

God alone is sovereign. God alone holds power over life and death. God alone can save. Jesus Christ is our only hope. The vapid, worthless god of American civil religion can’t save us. The vanity of human effort and ingenuity holds no true power over life and death. COVID-19 is far more powerful than any idol we can construct. Only the one true God is powerful enough finally to overcome disease and death.

This pandemic most likely will pass. Within a few months, Lord willing, the worst will be over. Within a year or two, things mostly will return to normal. Many of us will give credit to ourselves or to whatever our idol of choice may be. But we Christians should never forget this sobering reminder that there is only One who can save.

Spirituality in the age of coronavirus

When an apocalypse appears, there always is a question, either implied or explicit: “How will you respond?”

So, how will we respond to the apocalypse of COVID-19? A good first response to any apocalypse is to humble ourselves, repent of our sins and cast ourselves on the mercy of God. We should acknowledge and repent of the ways we have sought to provide our own security by our own strength. We ought to ask God’s forgiveness for selfishly lashing out at others in fear.

But the isolating measures implemented by our government also provide us with a unique opportunity. For many of us, the weeks and perhaps months we will spend mostly alone give us the perfect chance to spend extended periods of time in prayer and the reading of Scripture. Turn off Netflix. Pause your cat videos on the internet. Put down the video game controller. Spend some time with God and his word.

And as you pray, pray for others. Pray for those who are sick, dying and vulnerable. Pray for those who are lonely and isolated. Pray for those whose lives have been not just inconvenienced, but possibly ruined. And don’t just pray for them; reach out to them. Community is vital, even if we must pursue it in unconventional ways.

And through it all, turn your eyes toward Jesus. The first question of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The answer begins, “That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.” Amen.

Joshua Sharp is a Master of Divinity student and graduate assistant in the Office of Ministry Connections at Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas. The views expressed are those solely of the author.