“What Satan meant for evil God uses for good” is a phrase I have been using a lot lately. It is, of course a paraphrase of Genesis 50:20 where Joseph was addressing the fear of his brothers because of the evil they had done against him. I have been using it to see the good that is coming out of this pandemic. That good that may be hard to see unless we are looking for it.
It is easy, and human nature, to focus on the storm rather that the inevitable calm that follows. But as we learn in Mathew 14, as long as Peter kept his eyes off of the storm and on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water through the storm. It was only when Peter allowed himself to be distracted by the storm and took his eyes off Jesus that he began to sink. What a great example of how we can live today! This storm will pass, the calm will come, but will the good survive or just the memories of evil?
So, I wanted to share a few good things that I hope will survive the storm. Things that will make us not only better Christians but a better society. Please share the good you see that you want us to hold onto in the comments.
- A stronger call to prayer – Communities across our nation have been coming together in prayer more than I have ever seen, with the possible exception of the week following the 9-11 Islamic attacks on America. Praying in front of hospitals, nursing homes and fire stations is something that needs to stay. I have a ZOOM prayer meeting today with some of our business leaders that would not be happening if it were not for COVID-19.
- Neighbors helping neighbors – I have never seen such an outpouring of help from one person to another. We have been giving away masks and other things through our church, but the individual giving has been exciting to watch. Sure, there have been the few who hoarded supplies and other that saw people’s misery as a way to make a buck, but most people that I have been around have been extremely giving during the pandemic. From checking on and supplying their homebound neighbors to sharing sources for needed resources with each other we have seen a drawing together, despite the social distancing, that I hope remains.
- Churches upping their technology game – I have saying for years that churches and Pastors need a bigger footprint on social media and the internet and the COVID-19 crisis has provoked 1000’s of churches to start broadcasting God’s Word around the world through Facebook, YouTube, and church websites. But we need to do more. More broadcasts, more blogs, more ZOOM meeting more sermons turned into written and digital resources that will live long after the Pastor has forgotten the sermon. I am praying that this is just the beginning of the huge digital revolution for the Church. Now, before some of you get upset with me, an online broadcast never will, nor should it, replace the actual gathering together of the church. But for the sick and homebound, their worship experience just got a lot better!
- Homeschooling – In most cases Parents are the best teachers for their own children. My prayer is that more parents will see the value of home schooling their children and make the decision to invest in their children rather than a bigger house, a newer car or a vacation. Imagine how quickly the morality of our country would improve if half of our school aged children could be taught morals from their parents as opposed to the indoctrination that happens in our modern school system. The ripple effects of this would be awesome as well. Class size dropping so teachers could spend more time with students who learn slower or differently that others. Fewer brick and mortar schools would also mean lower taxes and less impact on our traffic and environment.
- Hand washing – Those that know me know I am a little fanatical about people washing their hands. This started long before the Pandemic. It was not uncommon for me when using a public restroom to call out other men for not washing their hands. Gratefully, more people than ever seem to be concerned with hand hygiene and if it continues, we will reap the benefits of this for years. Less colds, less flu and other viruses are just some of the benefits of more hand washing.
- Working from home – We have known for a while that working from home was beneficial and the pandemic has finally moved more people to do it than ever before. Less traffic, less stress, zero commute time wasted and lower overhead costs for companies are all good reasons to keep working from home long after the crisis has passed.
- Recognizing how unimportant the job that actors and athletes do really is – Actors and athletes stopped performing and the world did not end. Who would have thought a few months ago that we would be recognizing people who keep us safe and produce something tangible would be lauded as heroes while actors and athletes were ignored? Perspective and reality are beautiful things.
OK, these are just some of the good things I see coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am looking forward to hearing yours in the comments!
Be good and wash our hands,
Pastor Jay
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