Peace in the Pandemic

*This article was originally posted by Christiantoday.com.au

There is so much uncertainty in the world. Borders are closed. Shops are vacant. Toilet paper is like liquid gold. Chemists are scrambling to stock hand sanitiser. People are anxious. Unemployment services are overrun. Government websites are crashing.

A friend told me recently, that he works in an industry that simply does not have job security. People are concerned about keeping their jobs, and they're worried about having enough food to put on the table, and having the ability to pay their mortgage. He mentioned that he’s not an Australian citizen, and so while the Australian government are providing a couple of stimulus packages to Australians doing it tough, his circumstances are such that he won’t be the recipient of any of those funds.

None of it.

So let me spell it out. There is just so much uncertainty.

And it feels like that uncertainty is not going away any time soon.
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So what now?

So the question then is how can we live in such times? How do we learn to reorient ourselves in a world fundamentally different from a week ago?

I wrote an article over a month ago saying that the greatest threat to Australian culture was disunity, and that we needed to move from polarisation to reconciliation. A global health crisis hits, and suddenly Labor State Governments are working with a Liberal Federal Government, and the Greens are helping to pass legislation and the last sitting of Parliament was the most maturity I have ever witnessed in question time.

And so for the most part, polarisation (while it still has its pockets), isn’t what Australians are talking about. We’re talking about keeping our jobs. We’re talking about sustaining small business. We’re talking about how we can possibly visit our relatives interstate. We’re talking about how we find innovative ways for the church to gather online.

We’re looking for new ways to reimagine the world we live in. We’re searching for peace in the pandemic. We’re looking for a way to hold all the moving parts together and find some solace in the process.

A little whisper

The anxiety levels have definitely risen across our land. There is definitely people crying out for wisdom and help in their times of trouble. My heart goes out to each of you.

As I consider the angst and the worry that many Australians have right now, I heard a little whisper that I want to share with you.

God wants to give you peace in the pandemic. God wants you to know of his love for you; that the Lord will never leave you or forsake you (Matthew chapter 28, verse 20).

I hope and pray you’ll find peace in the pandemic. That while the world swirls around you and the rain comes down, the stream rise, and the wind blows, that you’ll be able to stand strong with a foundation of faith in Christ.

Of one thing I am certain

In the midst of uncertainty, there is certainty.

There is certainty in the love of God toward you.

There is certainty in the salvation and hope found in God’s son, Jesus Christ.

There is certainty in the resurrection of Jesus. Amid all the confusion and heartbreak, there is certainty that Jesus has risen from the dead and that one day, those who believe in him, will be resurrected with him (See 1Corinthians chapter 15).

That’s why I’m not buying into the panic and hoarding all my flour and sugar. That’s why I’m not stockpiling toilet paper like it’s a going out of fashion.

I will find peace in the pandemic.

Of that you can be certain.