As We Rise Out of the Ashes of Coronavirus

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Many have compared the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 to some type of apocalyptic event that will change the world forever. It certainly feels like that, doesn’t it? I will have to admit, I’ve scoured the scriptures to see if this time we live in looks like anything we see in the Bible. I reminded myself, in my study, that there have been several moments in human history that probably have had the same type of cataclysmic undertones as this moment in time has had on all of us. Now there is even a rumor that we will somehow be digitally identified by an injectable marker that would indicate our vaccination history and anything else that governments would find enjoyable to track. The truth of the matter is, is that while there was a study done by MIT and Rice University for a vaccine-delivery device, the idea was not something that would track our every move, but basically our vaccination history. The idea still gives “mark of the Beast” connotations to a lot of folks. Seems creepy and I would not be an advocate of anything like that for a lot of different reasons. It seemed when I grew up, the little green immunization record that was passed from school year to school year worked just fine. While a “nifty” idea, I don’t personally see that happening. You can call me naïve if you desire.

“What will it be like?” “What can it be like?” I think all of us can agree that it will not be life as we once knew it. Maybe in some ways, it might even be better.

Truly, as states begin to gently re-open their economies and relax their stay-at-home orders, we all await to see what a new normal will look like. This scourge on our society and world has certainly been devastating, from the loss of life to the mental and financial stress, strain, and even collapse for some people caught in the midst of an enemy we cannot see. As we start to ease out of our isolation cocoons, we ask ourselves, “What will it be like?” “What can it be like?” I think all of us can agree that it will not be life as we once knew it. Maybe in some ways, it might even be better.

There are some things that we can learn from this pandemic. One, life can take a turn in a rather quick moment. We cannot always be fully prepared for life-altering events. None of us thought, as we opened last year’s Christmas gifts around the tree, that in just two months, we would all be living an ordeal that would change us for a long time. We all have experienced a life interruption that will have some type of effect on us in the days ahead. If we think that the world hasn’t been radically changed, we are only fooling ourselves. 

I’m reminded, though, in the midst of grand interruptions—the kind that the entire globe has experienced—that God has been up to something rather remarkable. It is this that we need to ponder.

What has God been up to?

Have you noticed how faith has become a mainstream conversation? What an amazing opportunity this has been for us to share our faith. Turn on the morning news shows and see how some of the anchors “did church” from watching their services online … and they talked about it. Casual conversations with neighbors that you didn’t know had a faith begin to share how they are watching their church’s worship online. How many churches that did not have an online presence, now have one because of this pandemic? To remain vitally relevant at all during these several weeks of isolation, churches of even the smallest size came up with ways to reach people … and not just people from their own congregation, but people from all over the world. Can we say that the message of the Gospel got out in record numbers through the world-wide web? I think we could possibly say that with great integrity. I wonder what other ways we can share the good news in ways that we never thought possible.

I also think the Lord showed us that the message we have as Christians … the message of hope … is a valid message. When things are stripped away from us, we realize who we are at our core. If Christ is in you, you are a person of hope. If we have that hope, we grab on to it and hang on for dear life. If we don’t, we try to grasp for anything else that will offer us meaning, only to find out it is pointless. The message that there is hope beyond the grave … did you notice that Easter was in the middle of all of this … is the greatest message of all time. Millions heard the message of Christ’s resurrection and the hope we have in Him. Interesting timing, I would say.

How many of you long to see your friends and family without the restriction of a stay-at-home order or a computer screen? The appreciation we have for each other—people we know and people we don’t know—is exponentially higher when we begin to value life and community with others. Smiles to people on the sidewalk, a wave to our backyard neighbor, and even paying for the meal of the person behind us in the drive up lane are things that we witness every day with a sense of joy and anticipation that … you know, everything will be alright. Crises bring people together … how many times have you heard, “We are in this together?” It’s true … we are. These hard times tend to galvanize us and give us opportunities to give to others. We have seen acts of grace given by governmental agencies, landlords, and people who collect our monthly bills … who would have thought we could wait until July 15 to pay our taxes? People matter … and I think we are collectively figuring that out.

The acts of service that we have witnessed among our health-care heroes, grocery store clerks, police and firefighters, mayors, governors, and business leaders have been inspiring. The amount of cooperation and collaboration among a mass of people to help others was absolutely and remains incredibly stirring. More than once I have had a tear in my eye as I have seen the story of someone who gave amazingly to another. These acts of service spilled over into every segment of life. Those who have helped the needy with food, paid the bills of those who are unemployed, and even gave masks … industries who voluntarily gave of their products to the healthcare providers … and others who learned how to do new things to help during this pandemic … everyone got involved. You certainly don’t see that every day!

Lastly, while we all anticipate a new normal, the sense of encouragement is in the air. Because this pandemic affected everyone, there is not one person who has not been touched deeply and we are across the nation and world cheering each other on to live. The number of people who have died speaks to us every day that life is fragile. We don’t want to see any more death because of this … we want to see people pull through. We want to see businesses pull through … churches to hold services again … parks and recreation to flourish … and life to be able to be lived again. Out of the ashes of this viral pandemic … we as a people are rising up. That’s encouraging.

“To all who mourn … He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory.”

(Isaiah 61:3 NLT)

In the Bible, ashes represent mourning and grief. They can also be a symbol of repentance … which is really mourning over one’s sin to the point that there is the desire to turn away from it and go the other way. Ashes during the Lenten season remind us that we are mortal … “from the dust we are created and to the dust we will return.” In our contemporary context, ashes can be emblematic of loss, suffering, and woundedness. This scripture is all about hope. God heals us and restores us! His glory shines through our darkness and He brings strength to our weakness. We see this most vividly through the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 

Today, our hope is in Jesus. While our lives will change, one thing that is constant is the nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He never changes. His presence is always with us and His mercies are new every day. His faithfulness is always true.

So as we rise out of the ashes of this life interruption, know that God was up to something and we can grow from it in a way that can be life-giving. 

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