Coronavirus is spreading like a wildfire across the globe, consequently, people are hoarding food, hand sanitizers, ventilators, facemasks, toilet papers, and bottled water, some have already self-quarantined and many afraid dying alone.
People are seeking for answers, many are looking for the solution. But what is happening now has happened before. How did the church tackle it? How did the church saved the world then?
And how can the church save the world now?
In this article before I will begin to give the historical account of how the church saved the world in the past during a global pandemic, I would first of all clear the air on the concept of Church or the Church.
Church Defined
When I talk about the church I am not talking about building.
When the bible talks about the Church, it speaks of an assembly of people that are washed by the blood of Jesus.
In the Bible, the word church refers to people who are called out, people who are saved by Jesus Christ. The church never refers to a building or meeting place, but always to people, the ones "called out" by God, a group of warm and loving people specially chosen by God.
Jesus said in (Matthew 16:18), "I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" He refers to His chosen people, a body of believers that are living the life of the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world.
When Paul was describing the church in 1 Timothy 5, he refers to people committed to doing the works of Jesus Christ. The Church has a responsibility to serve, help save the world in times like this.
How the Church Saved the World in the Past
History is good because it helps us remember the past, whether what is happening now has happened in the past, and if yes, how was it handled in the past by the church? What lesson can we learn from the past?
Historically, the Church of Jesus Christ has had a crucial role to play in the time of pestilence. She has been on the front lines of epidemics, infectious diseases, and mortal danger since her founding
Lessons From the Antonine Plague
According to Lyman Stone in his article titled:" Christianity has been handling epidemics for 2000 years", he stated that During plague periods in the Roman Empire, Christians reached out and helped the people of the world. He suggested that if not for the charity works of Christians during the terrible Antonine Plague of the 2nd century, the plague might have killed off a quarter of the Roman Empire. He further suggested that it was the good works of Christians that led to the rapid spread of Christianity during that period, as Christians cared for the sick and offered help to the people, they show that the plague was not the work of angry and capricious deities but the product of a broken creation in revolt against a loving God.
Lessons From the Cyprian Plague
Lyman Stone also suggested that the Plague of Cyprian was a catalyst to the rapid spread of Christianity. The massage of Cyprian to Christian was short and simple: "not to grieve for plague victims (who live in heaven), but to redouble efforts to care for the living" Christians were motivated by Cyprian's sermons as they were moved out by offering help, caring for sick, giving out their belongings, sharing food to the people of the world. Christians and not the Government took charge of the sick, attending to their every need. The works of Christians triggered the explosive growth of Christianity.
Lessons From the Bubonic Plague
During the Bubonic Plague In 1527, Martin Luther played a major role in motivating Christians to show love to the dying world. Martin Luther was asked to leave the city of Wittenberg and to save and protect his life. But he refused, instead he replied to those who asked him to run "fathers and mothers are bound by God's law to serve and help their children, and children their fathers and mothers. Likewise, paid public servants such as city physicians, city clerks, and constables, or whatever their titles, should not flee unless they provide capable substitutes who are acceptable to their employer." Christians should be good citizens abiding by the law of the land and obeying the government. But Christian should take a further step to care for the world in times of crisis.
Turning the Table Against the Enemy
Now is the time to turn the table against the enemy. This is not the time to build more places of worship. It is not the time to buy more musical pieces of equipment.
This is not the time to build more schools. This is not the time for hugging and shaking of hands in church services but a time of social distancing to save the lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ and the people of the world as well.
This is not the time to collect offering and tithe but the time to give to the world.
This is the time to show the world that the church is the light that shines in a dark world. This the time to prove that the church is the salt of the earth. How? How can the church save the world?
Jesus came to save lives and while he was on earth he was taking care of the sick. Giving hope to the hopeless and delivering people who were oppressed by the devil. The question is what do the people of the world need at this critical moment? Testing laboratories, ventilators, drugs, facemasks, hand sanitizers, hospital beds, food, and essential commodities, etc.
Churches should turn their buildings to testing centers.
Churches should go out and distribute, ventilators, drugs, facemasks, hand sanitizers, food, and essential commodities, etc. The Church should reach out to the dying world!
Churches should build hospitals with beds and provide medical facilities. Churches must be proactive, get prepared because this coronavirus is a demon that we all must overcome.
This is the time we preach the gospel by what we do and not only by what we say. The church cannot fold her hand watch this coronavirus demon consume mankind. The bible says that faith without work is dead. We cannot claim that we are doing the works of Jesus Christ without reaching and doing the works of Jesus Christ. Caring for our brothers and sisters in the church as well as those outsides of the church is the quickest way to save the world. When I talk about the church I am talking about every who has that mark of Christ. I am talking about professing born again Christians washed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Every believer has an opportunity to serve. We all have skills and opportunities
Faith in Action
Christians should see this period as a time to care for the sick
rather than desert them, and thereby bring people to the kingdom of God. Caring for the sick doesn't necessarily mean that you should start visiting people who are infected with COVID-19, you should heed the advice of the Government and health officials by keeping social distance to avoid contracting and spreading the disease but you can donate when you see an opportunity if you are financially stable. Do whatever you to stop the spread of the virus. Whatever you have that you can use to help the poor masses, the dying world, use it and show Christian mercy for the glory of God.
In the end, what matters is eternal salvation, the souls who would follow Jesus as a result of Christian mercy... "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).
The Good News
Churches around the world are instituting changes as the coronavirus spreads.
Some have started online services, some are turning their buildings into testing centers.
Church leaders are taking matters into their own hands to prevent the spread of coronavirus
Some churches in Nigeria has declared that there will no longer be handshakes or other personal contacts during services
Some pastors have said that members should avoid churches and use hand sanitizers and stay at home and watch online services at this crucial time.
In some, churches, soap and sanitizer are waiting for members at the entrance of their church building( they should also fumigate their buildings as well as carry out coronavirus test by government health officials)
Those Tempting God
Leonardo Blair, reported in Christian post on Friday, March 27, 2020, that Several members of a Pentecostal church in Illinois, USA, is either at the hospital or in-home quarantine after at least 43 members fell after service held in their church two Sundays ago, and now at least 10 of them have tested positive for the new coronavirus
Christian post also reported on a pastor and his wife was recently s struck with the deadly coronavirus, in Arkansas, USA and latter infected up to 30 of their members after conducting a church program, the pastor is now warning others not to underestimate how dangerous the virus is and treat it with "wisdom and restraint."
Why did this pastor allow this to happen? What did he think was going to happen? Isn't the job of the Christians to obey the laws and stay home to prevent this from happening? The pastor is responsible for this lack of common sense. It makes me think of Matthew 4:7 "Jesus replied, 'It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God."
With these churches refusing to close, it is as though they are testing God. For is it not He who sent this sickness upon us?
When a person jumps from a tall building and prays to God to be saved, the person cannot expect to be saved
This is why God gives us common sense. We can praise and worship Him from the safety of our home while this pandemic is going on.
Children of God really need to think. Following laws, abiding by rules of Government in a time of crisis is not a lack of trust in God. A building is a place, we are the church; we can worship him at home during times like this and others. If God tells you to stay home until the angel of death passes by, then stay at home. Now God is telling us to obey the government. Be wise and use your common sense.
Final Word.
Christians are good citizens by complying with the government's attempts to protect the public welfare of the citizenry. The reason Government banning religious meetings is simply to protect all citizens from serious physical harm
Christians are heavenly citizens by obeying the words of Jesus Christ, caring for the poor, the sick and the needy.
What the church should be doing now is exploring innovative ways of reaching out to people online, after all the church is not a building but believers all over the world.
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