Six Feet Apart

According to most people, we are living in a time referred to as the 'new normal.'  Due to constraints put on our society from the COVID-19 pandemic, people are strongly encouraged to participate in social distancing.  This term had no meaning six months ago for most of us.  Now it is all over the nightly news.  Churches had to close, at least for a while.  People have begun working from home over the Internet.  And if you don't happen to be computer savvy or Internet wise, then you spend a lot of time at home ... alone.  Sometimes isolated from your family, friends, and even co-workers.  Phone calls and letter writing help, but it has been made clear to me in recent months that people are social creatures.  Even the staunch introvert craves personal interaction from time to time.  And if you do go out in public, the new mantra has become six feet apart.  Supposedly, this is the amount of space that ensures our safety from other people who may be carrying the virus.  

Now I want to mention here, that this feeling of loneliness and hopelessness isn't new, it has happened before in history.  There was the Spanish Flu in 1918, and the Black Plague from the middle ages.  Not to mention the recent splash of smaller pestilences in the last twenty years or so.  But I want to go even further back for a moment.  

Bible historians will recall that Jerusalem in the year 586 B.C. wasn't a pretty sight.  The city walls had been demolished by an invading army, and the town itself had many areas that were leveled.  No doubt God's people also felt alone and afraid.  This was the backdrop for the prophet Jeremiah when he wrote the Book of Lamentations.  

Listen to this piece of Scripture from chapter 3, verses 22-26: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  'The Lord is my portion', says my soul, 'Therefore I hope in Him!'  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.'"

It appears that the people who inhabited Jerusalem at that time were also waiting to come back together again ... to be strong once more.  They were waiting on God to rebuild their culture, infrastructure, and their way of life.  Wanting to live without fear and anxiety again.  Sound familiar?

Many of us today are seeking solace in modern medicine and technological advances.  Who wouldn't be listening to scientists and doctors right now?  But for some, I believe that whether or not we get a vaccine has become the mainstay of their faith.  We know from dealing with other types of coronaviruses (the common cold for example), that it is very difficult to pin down a cure.  These types of bugs change and mutate quickly from one season to the next.  And I know that this reality scares many people to their core.  What if there isn't a successful vaccine?

Now let me interject here that I would be just as happy as anyone else if they rolled out a cure in the next few months.  But my point is this: at the end of the day, who are we relying on to rebuild and renew our society?  I have a feeling that for many, the answer to this question isn't the Christian God.  

Post-virus Earth will survive this crisis; we always do.  Death or sickness may rule for a time, but typically not for long.  God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.  There will be a day when we read the newspaper headline: The Pandemic is Over.  But we must also remember to trust in God during this time.  Not in a superficial way that pushes the idea that He will never let us suffer or die.  But rather, with a more mature faith that says even if the worst happens, Jesus has our soul well fortified.  We will eventually end up in a place where moth and rust do not destroy, and where God is our one true desire.  He will also rebuild us here on Earth, He will restore us ... and then it will be up to us to  obey Him.  Not to walk in fear, but with faith and hope that things will eventually get better.  

Donate money to medical research if you like, stay informed by watching and reading the news, and also trust your eternal well being to God the Father.  

I have often thought of this time as a 'sifting of the saints.'  A period when God is fortifying and rebuilding His church on this planet.  We had it really good for a very long time.  Plenty of food to eat and enough money to thrive as a nation.  But this type of relative contentment doesn't usually lead to spiritual growth.  No, I'm afraid trials and suffering are what build character.  God may not bring on the pain, but He can surely redeem it.  I suspect this is the way it's been for thousands of years.  

I believe we will come out of this crisis stronger, with a faith that was forged in fire and tribulation.  And there will be a time when we no longer need to stand six feet apart from each other ... a time when keeping a safe distance will no longer be the paramount thing on our mind.  Medical cure or not, God will rebuild and redeem His people - the same way He did for the Israelites thousands of years ago.  The challenge will be to keep praising Him in the meantime, when things look scary all around us.  We may stand apart from each other physically for a while, but we can pray together spiritually - as we have always done.  



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