Faith in times of pandemic
- Posted by AULA 7
- Categories Church, Technology
- Date 2 de September de 2020
- Comments 0 comment
Friday arrives and the sun goes down, a series of notifications and alerts start flashing on different devices and social networks inviting believers, supporters and non-believers to join in for an online spiritual experience. Just 5 or 6 months ago, congregations were inviting the same group of people to take a break from social media and mobile devices to integrate into worship and focus on moments that would feed their spiritual need.
A little over two thousand years ago, the people who awaited the Messiah mostly visualized him as an almighty king, coming wrapped in majesty, accompanied by a supernatural army that would free them from the Roman yoke and, oh surprise! The long awaited king arrived wrapped in humble blankets and opened his eyes in the midst of a dreary manger in the middle of a stable.
Until recently, many pulpits were reeling from the dire warning that one day there would be no more opportunity to gather and worship physically in the temples as part of the signs leading up to the end times. In the imagination of many, the idea of the use of force, of governmental decrees, of punitive measures that would close the temples, preventing the faithful from worshipping God in a temple and… oh surprise! A tiny, microscopic and invisible being closed not only the doors of churches, but the doors of jobs, of businesses, of opportunities, stopping everything and dragging millions of human beings into fear and uncertainty.
The need to move forward made ingenuity and creativity combined with technological advances become the most effective method to bring emotional and spiritual relief to those who were beginning to show clear signs of discouragement and despair.
A virus closed the doors of the temples and at the same time opened thousands and millions of churches in every home.
God’s care is present at all times and His love for this fallen and dying race is powerfully present by providing spiritual care through broadcasts, audios, videos and messages. Faith cannot be quarantined, it must be released and strengthened in every heart. The onus is now on believers to connect, share and reach out to others with resources that until recently were unimaginable.
With the appearance of Covid-19, the foundations that supported our social, individual and educational stability were significantly disrupted. For the optimists, it is nothing more than an opportunity for the encounter between affectively but not physically distant beings, an unavoidable possibility to strengthen socioemotional ties between parents and children, as well as to recover the valuable time and space that the multiple occupations and worries of an absorbing work, academic and occupational world had replaced without us realizing it. This apparent return to order brought with it the recovery of a sense of co-responsibility in the formation of the new generations.
In this sense, this time of confinement has led us to rediscover ourselves as interdependent beings, capable of rationally redirecting our lifestyles, our daily practices; but also, to motivate the understanding that our friendly help and empathy are not values of the past but principles necessary to coexist (Morales, 2020).
Whether they are called millennials or centennials, the church has handed over the reins of evangelistic advances to those who have the ability to effectively manage media and technology. But this special generational group will require in addition to the moral and spiritual guidance of their leaders on this earth, they will need a strong and powerful connection with their Creator.
How much longer will this crisis last? There is no answer, but regardless of what the summary of this sad stage of humanity is, the simple fact of knowing that God is in control and always has a strategy prepared well in advance should be reason enough to strengthen hope and faith, that faith so great that there is no virus to quarantine it.
Inquiries:
Morales Jesús (2020). International Journal of Education for Social Justice. Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela. 9(3e).
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