3 lessons from this COVID-19 slowdown/lock down.

Since mid-February when it became apparent that the COVID-19 epidemic was not just a Chinese problem but had morphed into a global pandemic, life as we know it, has not been the same. The two things that brought this reality home for me was the grounding of most flights thus paralyzing international travel and the halting of most sports events. I am a football fan so halting the English premier league, something that had last been done over 70 years ago (world-war 2), was quite a sobering reminder. This situation is unprecedented in our life time.

As is usual with such happenings which put a halt in my routine, I find myself pondering, asking questions and looking for answers. Even though I might not have gotten the answers that I wanted from God (even if He told me why this is happening, I don’t think I would be able to understand as His perspective is much more superior to mine), He has taught me some indelible lessons that will carry me through this and any future crises;

1. Nothing will separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus.

A few minutes ago, I watched a video of one of my favorite musicians speaking about fear. He gave an example of being in a room with Superman and then an intruder comes in. It would be an insult to Superman if you started quaking and wondering what to do in such a situation, with Superman in the room! What that depicts is that you don’t believe Superman has the power to defeat the intruder and that is why you are trembling.

I believe that’s how God feels when we are terrified, paralyzed, worried and complaining in the face of frightening situations. It is said that the command “fear not” appears 365 times in the Bible, one “fear not” for every single day of the year.

In the face of the disruption and uncertainties that now abound due to COVID-19, we need to keep reminding ourselves that Jesus is in the boat and NOTHING is hard or even impossible for Him. He is able to preserve us with his peace in the storm and get us safely to the shore. Feeling fear is inevitable in our human situation, what matters is how we respond when we encounter this feeling/emotion.

2. God longs for our time and attention; the devil has stolen our time through busyness;

The world system we live in is so competitive and fast paced and often times ‘success’ comes down to how much you outwork your competitors. Coupled with the distraction of social media, traffic jams, functions and so many things that are competing for my attention, I feel like God always gets the ‘left overs’ of my time. If I don’t spend quality time with God first thing in the morning, chances are that my interaction with God that day will only be through a 4 minute prayer when am dropping off my wife at her work place. 4 minutes out of a total of 24 hours. During this lock down, with no lengthy commutes to and fro town, no constant beeping of my phone, I’ve had more time for solitude and contemplative prayer and time with God.

I sense that God wants to free me from the trappings of the capitalistic system that I find myself and in so that I can prioritize the things that matter most. Don’t get me wrong, work, hang outs, social media and other things that have been limited by this lock down are not necessarily wrong, but if they come first in my life, the result is an imbalance and a life built on shaky things as this crisis has revealed.

3. As humans, we can’t wish away God and his majesty.

Just when you start to marvel at man’s achievements, his magnanimity and his genius, something happens that shakes our confidence. Are we really in control? An invisible virus (to the naked eye) has the WHOLE world on its knees.

Believers in God are usually considered gullible by those who consider themselves ‘reasonable’ or ‘rational’. In fact, on some TV shows the word ‘God’ is censored. However, while watching news and reading statements from leaders and politicians2000114, I couldn’t help but notice how many times God is now mentioned. In this period, when the things we normally have confidence in are struggling, that is, our economies, jobs , businesses, medical systems, governments; we turn our eyes to that which is greater and unshakable, God.

As I close, I can’t help but feel that because of His nature, as one who loves us, the crown of His creation, He will once again come to our rescue, but not before reminding us who is in charge. Indeed as the old song says, “He’s got the whole world in His hands!”