COVID-19 Bible Study Reflection #1: God's Presence

I wrote this reflection today for the regular participants of my Bible Study sessions conducted weekly at St. Vincent de Paul Parish. Because the pandemic has caused us to cancel these sessions, as least for the time being, I thought perhaps I should send our participants some Scripture-related thoughts on a regular basis. The following is my first attempt. 
____________________

There’s nothing like a pandemic to get people asking questions about God and why such things as this nasty virus happen. 

Did God cause this disease? Did He inflict COVID-19 on the world? Or did He simply allow it to spread? Why? Is there some divine purpose behind all this, or is it the work of Satan? Is it a sign that the end times are upon us? 

In recent weeks I’ve been asked every one of these questions, and a few dozen more. I think, perhaps, the best way to address these concerns is to turn to Sacred Scripture. After all, the Bible actually has a lot to say about plagues and sickness and healing and end times.

First of all, let’s address the last: pandemics as signs of the end times. The most important thing to remember when it comes to the end times is that no one knows when Jesus will return. I’m always amazed by the number of people who are convinced they know when God will bring His creation to its fulfillment. How many books have been written, how many movies made, how many sermons preached, all telling us that Jesus’s return is imminent? Some even give us specific dates. Not only are they always wrong, but they also contradict the Word of God. We can safely dismiss them all.

And yet, at the same time, we are told that pandemics should not be ignored. As Jesus revealed to His disciples when addressing the end times:

“There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky” [Lk 21:11]

Yes, indeed, among other signs, we can expect plagues as we approach the end. But notice that Jesus immediately adds something else:

“Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony [Lk 21:12-13].

I suppose one could make a good case that the persecution of Christians is at an all-time high, but God’s People – both the Israelites and the Church – have suffered persecution for thousands of years. The persecution of God’s people is nothing new. In the West today, the persecution of Christians and Jews is perhaps a bit more subtle than that which they experience in other parts of the world. Anti-Christian political correctness, because it manifests itself largely through social and psychological intimidation, can seem almost benign. But far too many Christians react by turning inward, as if their faith is strictly personal. Of course, it isn’t: “It will lead to your giving testimony.” We cannot hide our faith under a bushel basket, folks [Mt 5:14-16]. We are called to evangelize. 

Plagues, too, have been with us since the beginning. We get our first taste of this very early in Genesis, when God describes the effects of the sin of our first parents. Unlike the bodily immortality with which God originally blessed them, they would now suffer hardship, pain, and death [Gen 3:16-19]. In other words, disease is one of the results of our fallen nature. 

We encounter plagues throughout the Old Testament, with perhaps the most famous being the “plagues” suffered by the people of Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. Of course, a number of the Egyptian plagues were not diseases at all, but extreme manifestations of otherwise natural events. But we can lump some of the others – livestock epidemic, boils, and the death of the firstborn – into the category of disease or other physical ailment. 

In Exodus we are told why God inflicted Egypt with this series of calamities when He instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh:

“Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go to serve me, for this time I will unleash all my blows upon you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me anywhere on earth. For by now I should have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with such pestilence that you would have vanished from the earth. But this is why I have let you survive: to show you my power and to make my name resound throughout the earth! Will you continue to exalt yourself over my people and not let them go?” [Ex 9:13-17]

Although God allowed these plagues, His purpose was not to destroy the Egyptians but “to show you my power…” so the entire world would come to recognize His sovereignty. Remember, too, that God displayed that sovereignty by sparing His people from the effects of these plagues:

“But for you the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thereby, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you” [Ex 12:13]. 

Today as our society struggles to deal with the current crisis, perhaps we will come to realize that this virus, this tiny piece of God’s creation, is also a manifestation of God’s power. Unlike the Egyptians we might actually understand and accept the message God sends us. Because He has blessed us with intelligence, we have the capability to overcome this disease. But our application of His gift of intelligence and the knowledge that results are always imperfect. In the meantime, then, many will die. 

This, of course, leads to our next question: Why have we been inflicted with this virus? Is God sending us a message, as He did the Egyptians? Is He punishing us for our sins, for our lack of faith? Or is this pandemic simply another consequence of our fallen nature?

I suppose the best answer to these questions is “Maybe” or a qualified “Yes.” The truth is, you and I do not know the mind of God, but we can get at least a glimpse if we turn to His Word. Let’s turn to the New Testament and find those wonderful signs of hope that God offers us.

It’s important to realize that no plague, no illness, no affliction can withstand the Word of Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate. Matthew put it beautifully:

“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness” [Mt 9:35].

He did it all, didn’t He? “Every disease and illness” covers the waterfront. But notice that these cures, all that healing, did not take place in isolation. Jesus also taught and proclaimed the kingdom. In other words, the cures offered proof that the Word the people heard was indeed the Word of God. In his Gospel, John calls these miraculous manifestations of God’s power “signs.” And signs they are, because they point to something greater than themselves. They point to the divinity of Jesus, the Son of God. They point to the salvation and hope Jesus offers us through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. They point to His Church and the grace manifested by the Holy Spirit through its sacramental life. And they point to Jesus’ continued Eucharistic presence, a presence that will remain with us “until the end of the age” [Mt 28:20].

The question for us: How should we respond? Most importantly, we should not fear. Faith and fear cannot coexist in the human heart. Indeed, fear is the great enemy of faith and leads us to despair. Buoyed by the gift of faith, we come to accept that God is always in charge, that He has sovereignty over all things. You and I, the medical profession, the scientific community, and yes, even the government, are all called to respond in faith. And because God gave us intelligence, we must also be prudent and use our intelligence wisely. By ignoring the obvious, by refraining from doing what is necessary to stop the spread of this virus, we would, in a sense, be putting God to the test [Mt 4:6-7], something we should never do.

And finally, realize that a living faith, a faith that demonstrates our love for God and for each other, always leads to the good. How did Paul famously proclaim this truth?

“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” [Rom 8:28].

We don’t fully understand God’s purpose, but we do know that when we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, only good will result. Let us not forget this during these challenging times.

Too many people, including too many Christians, fall prey to panic and pessimism, which leads only to fear. Instead, we must always remember what awaits. Jesus came to redeem us from our own sinfulness; he will come again to lead us to eternal life:

“Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him” [Heb 9:28]. 

Once again, remember those words of Jesus: “It will lead to your giving testimony” [Lk 21:13]. Accept this pandemic as an opportunity to respond to Jesus’ call to evangelize, to ease the fears of others, to share God’s sacred Word, and to be carriers, not of a virus, but of God’s love.