The coronavirus is something serious. We need to take necessary precautions and even unnecessary ones. If the actions we take now help slow the spread of the disease, later on it will look like we overreacted. Good.
Take a moment to think what under-reacting looks like. Can you picture it? A lot of vulnerable people suffer. If we’re going to err, it must be on the side of overreacting.
So the church has left the building. That can be a reason for lament and discouragement. But it shouldn’t be. Just as the persecution in Acts 8 caused the Jerusalem church to expand its outreach to neighboring regions, so this time can mark a decisive turning point for the church.
What if…
- …we discovered that genuine Christian ministry is best practiced “out there” rather than “in here”?
- …we found out that our relationships can be strengthened when our interaction is intentional rather than coincidental (we both are at the building at the same time, so we fellowship)?
- …our leaders were spurred to consider the flock on an individual basis rather than a single mass that gathers on Sundays?
- …our care for one another became day-to-day and house-to-house?
- …we became creative in finding ways to help the weakest among us?
Those are just a few starting points. Amazing things can happen when God’s people turn their eyes outward rather than inward.
Stay safe. Practice good hygiene. Take necessary steps to avoid catching and/or passing on the virus.
And go be the church!