There are times in life when we think we have it all sorted, it’s all under control. Life may not be perfect, or even particularly exciting, but we know where we are and what we are doing; the future looks fairly predictable.
And then it all falls apart.
In the space of a few weeks, our certainties have been upended as coronavirus crossed first from animal to human, and then from human to human, finding us totally unprotected. As the pandemic gathered pace we realised that we are certainly not in control of everything; that, despite all our medical and scientific advances, our lives can be completely turned upside down as we struggle to come to terms with the unstoppable advance of this new virus. We are more vulnerable than we realised, and it can all seem very frightening.
But the world has known pandemics before; plague and pestilence have been a part of life in every century. This too will pass. Perhaps what matters most now is how we deal with this, how much we care for and support each other through the next few weeks and months. We’ve already seen great acts of selflessness among those who are on the front line in the NHS, and those who care for the most vulnerable people. We have seen a huge response to the appeal for volunteers. Communities have come together to set up support networks for those who cannot look after themselves, and despite some selfish and thoughtless behaviour, the majority of people are doing whatever they can to ‘stay home, protect the NHS and save lives’. Let’s do whatever we can to help where we can, to pray for everyone affected, to share the love of Jesus and to be his hands and his feet in our communities.
Someone asked Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, “Where is God in this natural disaster?”, and he answered, “He is in the middle of it. He’s alongside us. He’s with us, he’s suffering with us … and when we turn to him, even in our darkest moments, we will find his presence.”
Times like this may test our faith, but we can come through it stronger for being tested. We may not be in control, but we know that God is. He holds the world in his hands and he loves it, and us. No matter what we experience now, God has a plan of salvation through His Son Jesus which is sure and firm. We can rest assured that the promise of a future in which God’s Kingdom will fill the earth with righteousness, peace and goodness will come to pass, and perhaps very soon.
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God … And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)
In this life we may not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.
(Image: courtesy of Fusion Medical)
