“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1: 27
This verse seems so appropriate at the moment. In the UK, where I live, there are stories of people being kind and helpful to the old, lonely and vulnerable. Those in distress from the coronavirus are being supported. Families and communities are caring for each other. Churches are “being church” in the community now that their buildings are closed and services abandoned.
The world is having to take stock of what is important. The rich and poor alike are at risk of being ill. We are all having to face our fragility and ultimately our mortality. Wealth and status are not making a difference to whether we stay healthy or succumb to the virus. We are having to revaluate and consider what is really important.
In the UK, schools are closed except for the children of key workers, workers who previously have not been given the status that they deserve. Carers, nurses, delivery drivers, shop assistants and refuse collectors are all vital to our communities and yet are often low paid and taken for granted. We suddenly realize we need them and our lives depend on them.
Photo credit: Dan Burton on Unsplash.com.
Jesus spent time with the marginalized, the poor and those in need. He cared about people. The gospels are full of stories about Jesus taking time to talk to individuals. I believe God is wanting us to do likewise. I believe He is honoring those who care for others, not just in this unprecedented time, but day in and day out. There are so many people caring on a daily basis for those in their families and communities. God sees the Mum with a disabled child making personal sacrifices, the husband who helps his wife as her dementia gets worse, and the children who make cards or pick flowers for their aging Grandmother. He sees the little acts of kindness that never get reported, the neighbor who has always helped with the shopping for a housebound couple, the person who always gives someone a lift to church and the people who tirelessly provide for families struggling with a child with a disability within their community or church.
Habakkuk, like many other biblical prophets, bemoaned the world he lived in, crying out to God because of the injustice in the world. As I was reading it, I thought of our world. We have been crying out to God for justice for the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized and those who are often discriminated against, such as those with disabilities. We have been praying for our world, asking God to intervene. It has taken a pandemic for us to realize that we all need to change. This includes our communities, our nation, our churches and each of us as individuals. We need to provide practical help and care. We need to honor those who sacrificially put others first without thanks or reward. We need to stop being greedy and self-centered, and start putting the needs of the whole world before our own wants.
This is not easy. People in the UK have been panic buying due to fear. Fear is often at the root of our self-centeredness and greed. It is difficult to care for others when we are so consumed with terror for our own lives and families.
God has an answer to this. He says “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Those of us in churches need to demonstrate that love through action. We need to share the Father’s perfect love with our neighbors, our friends and our communities. Those who are struggling will see our faith and hope in a God who provides for us. They will experience God’s extravagant heart as we share in our communities. We can do this in many ways, through this stressful time. We can send messages and cards to those who are self-isolating. We can shop for our neighbors. We can listen to those who are hurting and afraid. We can empathize and care for those who are bereaved, and we can pray for the world and those in our communities.
Once the pandemic is over, we don’t have to stop loving and caring. We don’t have to go back to worldly thinking. We have re-evaluated our way of life. We need to continue to be like Jesus and to “look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1: 27).
God cries with those who are suffering because of the pandemic. We should cry with them too. Let us not stop once the pandemic is over. “God is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrew 13:8). He promises “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Let us as the Church continue to demonstrate the love of God after the emergency is over.
Sue Sutton has nearly 50 years of experience working with people with learning disabilities. She has developed training programs for people working with a variety of learning disabilities and mental health issues. Sue is the author of “Living Fulfilled Lives: Empowering People With Learning Disabilities.” Connect with her on Facebook.
