Does the Coronavirus Fit Into God’s Plan?

Social distancing. Three months ago, if you had heard that term you may have thought it was describing someone who was a loner or someone who swore off social media. Now we not only all know what it means, we feel its meaning and it is frightening. I was in the grocery store today, and on the floor of the line for self-checkout there were tape lines six feet apart so shoppers could more easily avoid contact. The novel coronavirus – COVID-19 - has arrived. It is potent, fearsome and sneaky. Because of its presence the entire world has been altered socially and economically in a matter of a few months. As Christians, what are we supposed to do with this pandemic? What should we know, how should we act and most importantly, is this virus connected to God’s plan? How often do our thoughts turn to God in a negative way when the world is in a panic about a disaster?  Whether it is a tsunami or a hurricane, a series of wildfires or a pandemic, we seem to generally conclude that God must be punishing us. The current COVID-19 pandemic has already brought several Scriptures into focus on social media to support this reaction. So, is this God’s wrath? Blessings? Curses? To set a foundation for an answer, we need to ask a question. When things are generally good in the world – when hurricanes and floods are fewer and earthquakes are more sporadic - do we ever say that such times are God’s blessing on the world? We don’t! We basically ignore those things. Why, then, should this pandemic be God’s curse? If we don’t give Him credit for good things, then it is inconsistent to blame Him for the bad things. COVID-19 was not sent by God! Make no mistake, this is a fiercely contagious virus. It has a very high mortality rate for a specific age range of people who have one or more other health conditions. Mortality notwithstanding, it is clear this virus does not discriminate as to who it infects and how much suffering it can cause. As likely as the coronavirus is to cause panic, misinformation and social media editorializing regarding the facts are even stronger panic drivers. What should Christians do we do with boatloads of 24-hour information we have access to?  What is our responsibility? How should we be thinking and acting? Beacons of light Check out March 30, 2020 podcast, “Does the Coronavirus Fit into God’s Plan?” for more.  Determining fact from fiction is critical to understanding what is really happening. We talk about this serious, worldwide issue through the lens of relevant medical facts. We then carefully verify the application of that information to build a truthful perspective. As Christians, we not only address a prophetic viewpoint to consider, we also delve into what our Christian responsibilities are. Join us as we seek to do what Jesus did - be beacons of light in a foggy world!