Our Hope Amid the Crisis
Pictured above: Rosemary Hipp turning lemons into lemonade, a lesson our second grade students learned last week.
By David Goodrich, Middle School Principal
As the coronavirus spreads, much of the world and the Church have been called to practice “social distancing” and quarantine techniques. The hope is that by adopting these policies, COVID-19 will be dealt a death blow.
In the interim, the world anxiously waits, looking to and hoping in their elected leaders to provide a cure for this pandemic.
The Fall
To be honest, I have watched this ongoing saga, asking myself, “How have we (myself included) allowed ourselves to be so consumed by panic and fear?”
After reading and meditating on the Word of God, you discover the answer found in Genesis 3:16-18 … “the fall.”
All of humanity suffers from the consequences of sin, resulting in death, pain, fear, toiling in our work, pestilence, sickness, and the insatiable desire for self and satisfaction.
Our Hope
However, a deeper dive in the scriptures will lead us to the answer … our hope!
In Genesis 1:26-27, we see that we were made for more. We were made to glorify our God in our work, in our marriages, in our future, in all things. Satisfaction is found in our union with Christ, not in our accomplishments or assets.
The Giver and Sustainer of Life
As we remain quarantined in our homes and cut off from the normal operations of our lives, let us consider this gift we have been given!
For the first time in my life, I am sympathetic to Psalm 46:10. The Lord says to us, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
In this unprecedented moment, we must acknowledge that He is the giver and sustainer of life. As He renders every one of our idols (sports, 401ks, stocks, job security, health, school, fashion, etc.) powerless, we are presented with the opportunity … will we be consumed by what is being lost or focused on what He is doing?
Our Hope Amid the Crisis
Today, I choose to see our quarantine as a gift from our Creator. The purpose - to refine His people and to make them more and more like Him.
The Lord has already transformed this covenant community - its teachers, parents, and students - using the remote learning platform to forge a spirit of collaboration, dependence on one another, and most importantly, radical dependence on Him!