What Christians can do during the pandemic?

God loves to show up in adversity. It seems it’s when we pay the most attention.

We’ve seen our nation’s leaders begin to respond. There are sweeping changes that will affect all of us in some way. I think most of us know (or believe) we will not get sick. Statistically, that will likely be true.

The obvious victims in all of this are, of course, those who contract the virus and even worse, those who to not recover. But there is a whole host of others that will be affected adversely.

The situation is already setting up as though there will be some people really hurt by all of the cancellations and delays imposed. Vendors working at sporting events as a second job to help ends meet, those working in the travel industry, hairstylists, restaurant staff – all regular people with regular jobs that may be severely impacted because we as a nation are staying at home, not going out for entertainment or traveling for pleasure. Many of these companies will bounce back. Some of these folks, once falling behind in a couple of rent payments, could be hurt severely – yet never get sick from the virus.

Yet, we have a huge sector of our economy that must continue to work, in spite of the many of us that are hunkered down with our canned goods and extra toilet paper. Healthcare workers, and civil servants such as police and fire staffs continue to be at the ready. We will need them. And you can bet they’ll be there.

I can only think of one thing I can do about any of this.

Pray.

Would you join me in praying for these few, specific things:

• Pray for those afflicted by the illness, for healing and comfort
• Pray for those impacted by the shuttered economy, that they will have the means to navigate through their financial struggles
• Pray for those that continue to serve the rest of us in the face of uncertain and perhaps unsafe times
• And finally, pray that God make use of the pain, uncertainty and fear that we may experience, to reveal himself to us and a whole host of others, that tens of thousands of new believers would seek him as their refuge

Martin Luther wrote the Hymn, “A Might Fortress is Our God” in response to Psalm 46. Here is the verse as the Psalmist wrote it:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging – Psalm 46:1-3

This verse sounds like some may feel during this crisis.

May you seek God as your refuge. Use the turmoil created by this event, to draw closer to him.

God loves to show up in adversity. You can bet he will show up for you during this.

[photo credit: courier mail dot com dot au]