Preaching amid Fears of Covid-19
“We will not fear”
Fear, Obstinacy, and Selfishness
or
Courage, Acceptance, and Altruism
What is going on here?
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch
People are afraid, and yet today I fear people more than Covid-19. Here is what I have observed of people in the past few days.
Stockpiling: It was early in the week when I made a trip to Target for my regular weekly groceries. What I saw was astounding. (By now, you will have seen the same thing.) Entire aisles were completely empty. And weird things, too. Next to fully stocked juice and cheese, the eggs and butter were completely gone. Next to full shelves of sauces, the mac ‘n cheese had disappeared. Fruits and vegetables nearly untouched, while pasta was non-existent. And, of course… toilet paper. I’ve heard rumors some folks fear the virus causes diarrhea, but who knows? Of all the things, we’re most concerned about having clean behinds?
Contagion: Xfinity’s On Demand has a category for “New and Most Popular” movies. The outbreak movie, Contagion, has moved its way to the top as one of the most popular movies of the week. If 24/7 coverage of the virus on the news channels isn’t enough, we can scare ourselves further with Hollywood’s imagining of what may happen now that a global pandemic has hit the shores of every continent. (Full disclosure… I totally watched it.)
Rejection of Facts: Despite numbers, statistics, and anecdotal evidence that this is a fast-moving, deadly global event, many people still resist taking precautions. I’ll admit, for too long I was among those who resisted letting fear dictate my actions. We decided early to continue patronizing small businesses and service industries because failing to do so also hurts people. When sporting events canceled and churches canceled worship, I thought it was overkill—we can’t prevent the virus from coming. The best we can hope is to slow it down. But there is wisdom in slowing the spread. It could help the medical system not become overwhelmed by an influx of very sick patients. It could buy time to develop treatments and vaccines. (These are not the same thing, by the way. We need to be looking for both to combat this.) Continuing to reject the facts is counterproductive to the efforts of those trying to save lives.
The Problem with Extreme Thinking
Human reaction to the virus has been polarized. People either react with fear, leading to stockpiling and social isolation, or they react with stark defiance to fear, proclaiming themselves at low risk and exposing themselves to crowds unnecessarily. Both extreme reactions ultimately come down to utter selfishness. Those reacting solely out of fear are emptying store shelves so that they can have for themselves without thought to the needs of others. Those reacting out of defiance are not thinking about the consequences of spreading the disease to those at far greater risk of dying than themselves.
The Helpful Stuff
God has not called us to act out of fear, obstinacy, or selfishness. God encourages us to look beyond ourselves, and yes, even beyond this life.
Courage, not Fear
As you consider preaching into a congregation wrought by fear, look to Psalm 46 for wisdom and courage.
To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
‘Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.’
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
Look especially at verses 2 and 6: “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea… The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter.” Sounds a little like our world right now, doesn’t it? Some of the comfort brought by the scriptures is perspective: we are not alone, and the devastation and terror we are experiencing is not new. People have survived. God has fulfilled God’s promise to restore humanity over and over again. People will survive this. God will continue to fulfill God’s promise to restore humanity.
Acceptance, not Obstinacy
Are you preaching into a congregation that refuses to get swept up by fear to the detriment of safety? Many figures in scripture have shown stubbornness and an unwillingness to look beyond their own need. Jonah is one such character. God sent him to proclaim destruction upon Jonah’s enemies, and Jonah didn’t want to go. First, he didn’t think that his words would make any difference. But also, he didn’t necessarily want to see Nineveh saved. When he finally relented, went, and proclaimed God’s message, Nineveh listened and repented. God changed God’s mind about their utter destruction, and let them live. This, of course, upset Jonah, who whined and complained, and even asked God to take his life because he couldn’t tolerate the scope of God’s mercy. He couldn’t see beyond himself to see the thousands of lives that were saved because he responded to God with “yes”! The story reminds us that our own stubbornness can sometimes be detrimental to more than just ourselves. A stubbornness that refuses to take basic health and safety precautions can cost lives. Perhaps we can learn from God’s mercy, and take extra steps outside our comfort zone to contribute to the well-being of others.
Altruism, not Selfishness
As you preach to people who are so wrapped up in fear or obstinacy that their actions are more self-serving than outward bound, consider the many parables of Jesus that encourage us to put others before ourselves. Shortly following Jesus’ parable about the vineyard owner who paid his laborers the same wage despite how many hours they put in, (Matthew 20:1-16) Jesus encouraged his disciples to be selfless.
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)
What Now?
What We Can’t Do
First, what can’t we do? We can’t stop the virus. We can’t prevent sick people from dying. We can’t control what other people do. We can’t solve the problem by blaming.
What We Can Do
Keep Living: While there are so many things we are limited by, there are still many ways we can keep on living life. If you can work or do school at home, then work and do school. Give it your all. Don’t just use the opportunity to slack off. If you are normally driven, remain driven. If you are normally chill, remain chill. Keep making trips to the grocery store as needed. Get up every day and take a shower. Eat well. Exercise. Get sleep. Hug your people and your pets. Talk to each other. Call, text, or FaceTime loved ones. Pay your bills. This is not the literal end of the world. It’s a very scary bump, and one day soon life will return to normal (maybe a new normal). Don’t make moving on harder by ceasing to do what you gotta do.
Pray and meditate: Attend to your faith and mental health. Remind yourself regularly that God’s got you. Whether you are isolated, lonely, sick, or even dying, God will never let you go. When God’s in your corner (and God is), you can live with hope, faith, and even happiness. Appreciate the little things. Watch the sunrise. Listen to your kids laugh. Pet your dog. Taste fresh strawberries.
Don’t Panic if You Feel Sick: If you get a cough or runny nose, don’t run to the emergency room. You may not need to, and if you do have Covid-19, you will be risking the health of all the others in the ER. Instead, call your doctor. If they determine you do need to go to the ER, they can call ahead so the ER will be prepared to isolate you if necessary. Take care of your health, but be smart about it.
Help Those who Cannot Help Themselves: Find out who in your community is at high risk, and find out what they need. Do some grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor. When your schools close, babysit a child of a medical worker, first responder, or those who must go to work so they can continue to work.
Quit Stockpiling: Medical experts are saying you don’t need to stockpile 2 months worth of supplies. If you plan to stay in for 10 days to 2 weeks, get enough food and necessary items to last the 2 weeks, but remember other people need those items, too.
Remain Calm for Your Children: Your children feel your anxiety. You can limit their exposure to your anxiety by turning off the 24/7 news reports on the TV, tablet, talk radio, or phone. Encourage them to wash their hands, but don’t enact hourly hand washing drills. Explain that their school closures are precautions for safety, that they and their friends are safe, and they will get to go back to school someday soon. Don’t talk about your fears constantly—let them know you are scared, but that you also have faith and hope that things will be ok. They don’t need to hear your worries for hours on end. Plan fun activities to supplement their at-home school work to keep them focused on living, not dying.
Patronize Small Business: Small business and service industries are suffering greatly right now. Do whatever you can to patronize these businesses, while remaining careful and safe. Order take-out from small restaurants. Shop Etsy. Get your hair cut. And everywhere you spend money, tip big.
Give People Permission to Be Wherever They Are: You may have made the shift from ignorance to obstinacy to education to fear to acceptance to altruism. Others may be all over this spectrum. Give them permission to be wherever they are. It’s not your job to change people’s minds or force them to behave the way you wish they would. Approach people with compassion, understanding, and love.
Grieve: If you lose somebody to Covid-19, grieve. Get angry. Blame yourself, and then realize there was nothing you could do. Blame God, and then remember God’s grieving with you. Cry. Sleep. Remember to eat. Let others help you. Accept their meals. Cry in their presence. Ask for what you need. Keep faith that there is life beyond this one, and it is a life beyond imagination!
We will get through this. We can have courage because of the presence and promises of a merciful and compassionate God. We can be cautious while remaining altruistic, as Jesus has challenged us to do. When we follow Jesus’ command, then fear and selfishness begin to melt away. Courage, faith, hope, and love prevail.
