I saw a news item asking what the last “normal” photograph was on our phone before the Coronavirus hit. I don’t take many photos with my phone but the last one was when our church was packed, fuller than I’ve ever seen it, for a baptism service at the end of February. About 280 of us were there – bumping into each other, sitting next to one another, shaking hands, hugging, singing, chatting face to face! What a great memory.
Most of us in this country are used to good things: activities, going out for coffee, to church, cinema, visiting friends and family, shopping, haircuts – even just going to Tesco without having to queue halfway round the car park. We might not do all of these things very often, but we were free to do so.
Then it all changed. Things we took for granted were no longer available. We had to stay at home – work from home, go for a walk once a day, FaceTime friends, Zoom to church. We gorged on Netflix, waved to neighbours, fought with our hair, and planned trips to Tesco like you would a space mission. And we didn’t like it. Some days were fine, but the novelty soon wore off. Fear was our only visitor; loss and helplessness were our friends.
Some of us were dreadfully lonely. Some were desperate for space. There’s no denying there were some things we enjoyed about lockdown, but we all surely felt overwhelmed by the news dominating our media. We shared the grief of our country being brought to its knees, the upset over the coming economic devastation. We lived with the guilt that we weren’t able to visit loved ones, and the fear of a second wave.
Our every belief, motive, desire, habit and M.O. has been put to the test. Where do we turn for comfort? How do we react when under pressure and no one is watching? What is really important to us – a.k.a. how do we spend most of our time?
Our church Community Group watched and discussed the first of Tim Keller’s talks on Habakkuk from his “Trusting God in Difficult Times” series. It’s worth a watch. Keller points out that Habakkuk also lived through unusual times and found it hard.
We’ve never lived through a pandemic before, but others have. I might not have lived in a war-torn country like Habakkuk did, but many have and still do. We – all of us – are part of a much bigger, ongoing story. God’s story. God has not changed. Despite not knowing why God was doing what he was doing, Habakkuk knew he could trust God. His character is the same. He is faithful, good and gracious – and he wants us to ask him life’s big questions.
The other thing from that video which made me think was the quote from the Lord of the Rings. Gandalf said, “All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given us.” So simple! So hard!! It doesn’t depend on context or circumstance. It depends on our view of God and our faithfulness to him. If we believe we are in control and have a right to our preferences in life, we will find the current situation unbearable. If we believe God is in control and all our resources are his, we’ll lay aside our desires and ask him each day what he would have us do with them.
God doesn’t ask us for achievements, improved status, success or awards. He asks for our faithfulness, our hearts, our trust. He asks for obedience, love for one another, purity and holiness. Circumstances don’t matter when it comes to our behaviours and attitudes. How I respond to my circumstances matters very much. They reveal who we are – but they don’t make us what we are.
So it matters how I speak to those I live with, that I honour them and treat them with love and kindness. When I mess up, as I surely will, it matters that I repent, apologise to them, and ask God’s help to do better next time. It matters that I don’t use all my time to serve my own selfish desires, but that I ask God to show me how to serve others. These are little things, possibly aimed at little people. But it matters.
God’s purpose is not finished. He is working in us and through us and will continue to do so – pandemic or not. But our hope isn’t in a vaccine or a face mask. Our hope is in the One who began a good work in us and will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
