I am doing my best to protect myself and others from COVID19. I'm working from home. I'm trying to limit my trips out. When I do go out, I have a pocket sized sanitizer that I diligently use. I hope that your are taking it seriously too.
I read this week about Martin Luther. He was in Wittenburg living with his pregnant wife during the plague. The plague, black death, the pestilence, all names for the outbreak that killed 75-200 million in Eurasia. Can you imagine the stress that he was under? This is what he had to say,
Our neighbors are going to need us in the coming months. Whether it is because of sickness or down-turned economy, I believe it is going to take us all working together to get through this. This is the opportunity for the church to shine.
My favorite summary of the life of Christ is in Acts:10:38. It simply says, "He went around doing good." If we follow his example, we will have a lot of opportunities to do go around doing good. Someone may be sick and need help. God forbid, someone may lose a loved one and need you. Someone my lose their job. There is a lot of bad that could be coming, but we have a lot of good to share.
Does that mean we charge in? No. We have to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Luther said neither brash, nor foolhardy and not to tempt God. That's wisdom. We don't want to make things worse. So how do we proceed?
I believe we have to be sensitive to the leading of God's Spirit. I think there will be opportunities to reach out and help, we just have to be ready and listening to God. In the story of the Good Samaritan, two Temple workers saw a hurting man and walked by. That was an opportunity to be a neighbor. That was the opportunity to show love and they missed it. A Samaritan man stopped. He had every right to walk on, but he stopped and then went beyond what most would do to make sure the injured man was okay.
I pray that we all are listening to God. I pray that we take the opportunities that God puts in our path. I pray that during this crisis, the church is truly a City on a Hill.
-Peace.
*Download the complete letter by Martin Luther, "Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague."
I read this week about Martin Luther. He was in Wittenburg living with his pregnant wife during the plague. The plague, black death, the pestilence, all names for the outbreak that killed 75-200 million in Eurasia. Can you imagine the stress that he was under? This is what he had to say,
Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely, as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God. *Sounds familiar doesn't it? Social distancing is not a new concept. Luther emphasized the importance of being a responsible citizen and not spreading the disease. But then he said if his neighbor needed him, he would go.
Our neighbors are going to need us in the coming months. Whether it is because of sickness or down-turned economy, I believe it is going to take us all working together to get through this. This is the opportunity for the church to shine.
My favorite summary of the life of Christ is in Acts:10:38. It simply says, "He went around doing good." If we follow his example, we will have a lot of opportunities to do go around doing good. Someone may be sick and need help. God forbid, someone may lose a loved one and need you. Someone my lose their job. There is a lot of bad that could be coming, but we have a lot of good to share.
Does that mean we charge in? No. We have to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Luther said neither brash, nor foolhardy and not to tempt God. That's wisdom. We don't want to make things worse. So how do we proceed?
I believe we have to be sensitive to the leading of God's Spirit. I think there will be opportunities to reach out and help, we just have to be ready and listening to God. In the story of the Good Samaritan, two Temple workers saw a hurting man and walked by. That was an opportunity to be a neighbor. That was the opportunity to show love and they missed it. A Samaritan man stopped. He had every right to walk on, but he stopped and then went beyond what most would do to make sure the injured man was okay.
I pray that we all are listening to God. I pray that we take the opportunities that God puts in our path. I pray that during this crisis, the church is truly a City on a Hill.
-Peace.
*Download the complete letter by Martin Luther, "Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague."
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