Ten Brief Sobering Reflections on Churches, Pastors and COVID-19
Today is the beginning of Holy Week, but I can’t help but also reflect on everything that’s happening in our world right now. It is an unprecedented situation that we are going through and I am trying to think through it with both soberness and hope.
With that being said, here are a few candid observations, thoughts, and predictions that have preoccupied my mind and keep me awake in the evenings and on my knees in prayer in the mornings.
1. Like many people, I first saw the coronavirus as nothing more than a severe flu. But looking back, these were the key “wake-up” moments for me and the thoughts that accompanied them:
NBA season gets suspended (“this is serious”)
California Department of Health issues a social distancing order (“we can’t meet on Sundays”)
Washington Post article on flattening the curve (“we can’t meet even in small groups”)
Andy Crouch’s Ice Age article (“everything we do as a church must change”)
Mark Sayer’s podcast (“everything we do in life will change”)
The curve is not lowering in Western countries (“this will last a while”)
2. According to Thom Rainer, every generation is marked by a common historical experience. For Boomers, it was the Vietnam War; for Gen-X, it was maybe the economic recession of the 80’s; for Millennials, it was 9/11. Everyone thought Gen-Z’s experience was the advent of social media. However, Gen-Z’s moment will be COVID-19.
3. A lot of pastors think churches we’ll be worshiping online for a few more months but will be back together in May or June at the latest. But pastors, I think you’re fooling yourselves. Based on what I’m reading, it’s far more realistic to anticipate churches not gathering until September or even January. We don’t want to believe it, but I think we must plan for this.
4. In his podcast, author Mark Sayers references an old 1930 Shirley Temple film where one of the characters shouts, “The Great Depression is over!” Everyone cheers and life returns to normal. I think this is how people are imagining COVID-19 ending. But the Great Depression did not end in one day and neither will COVID-19. Expect slow increments of change rather than one dramatic moment.
5. Even if social restriction are lifted, life will be radically different. As author Andy Crouch notes, we are not just experiencing a blizzard (weeks) or a winter (months), but we are likely experiencing an ice age (years).
6. Why do so many people have such a hard time imagining these scenarios? Why do we think things will simply return to normal? Psychologists refer to this as “normalcy bias.” According to author David McRaney, “Normalcy bias is stalling during a crisis and pretending everything will continue to be as fine and predictable as it was before…Much of [this] behavior is an attempt to lower anxiety [because] your deepest desire is for everyone around you to assure you the bad thing isn’t real.” This probably explains why many people are minimizing the crisis.
7. We should flatten the curve, but we must realize the flattening of the curve will lead to the extending of the curve. In other words, this will make things longer and more painful - especially to our economy. But as a Christian who believes in the sanctity of life, it is worth it. As author Russell Moore writes, “[L]et’s remember: One day we will tell our grandchildren how we lived, how we loved, during the Great Pandemic. Let’s respect human life in such a way that we will not be ashamed to tell them the truth.”
8. Every pastor I’ve spoken with has agreed: this has been the most draining season we’ve experienced. It involved the scrapping of old plans, the creation of new ones, the discovery of facebook live, zoom, and not shepherding face-to-face. I need to constantly remember that this is a marathon and even if other churches are sprinting, we need to jog at a reasonable pace.
9. Despite all the bad news, there is good news. I’ve heard and seen jaded Christians exploring the faith again. I’ve seen individuals in my church activated. People are worshiping on Sundays, delivering food to health care workers, gathering to pray, meeting their neighbors for the first time, and appreciating what they once took for granted. Most especially, God seems to be graciously humbling us and making it loud and clear that He is God and we are not (Deut 32:39).
10. Yesterday, the U.S. Surgeon General announced: “This is going to be the hardest and saddest week of most Americans’ lives. This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s going to be localized.” I don’t know what this means, but I’m kind of afraid to find out.
However, as some pastors have noted, it’s amazing how in God’s providence, the supposed saddest week in our country will coincide with Holy Week. As we experience dark days ahead, Christians will also be reflecting on how God transformed the darkest moment in history (the death of God’s Son) into the the greatest news in the world (the resurrection). This week, may this good news help Christians be sorrowful yet always rejoicing (2 Cor 6:10).