In my last post, I talked about how “hybrid church” (physical/digital) is here to stay. I talked about how churches, schools, and businesses are all having to adapt and how I think this new reality is just that: the new hybrid reality. For yet another example, I think many employees will continue to do half of their job at home and will continue to do the other half of their job working out of their office. Trust me. This will be a good thing, especially if you’re a parent and your kids are now having to spend half of their time and home and the other half at school. Neither remote working or distance learning are new concepts. It is just that now, thanks in large part to Covid-19, both phenomenons have been accelerated.
Part of the reason I feel the way I do stems from a quote I read from Scott Gotlieb, former FDA Commissioner. In an article from Advisory Board entitled “How long will social distancing last? It could be years, experts warn.,” Gotlieb says, “I don’t think there’s going to be a binary point in time when we just return to what we were doing. I think world history is permanently altered by this episode.” With each passing day, I tend to agree with Gotlieb. Pandemics are serious and this pandemic has seriously affected life as we know it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are many parts of this “new normal” that I don’t like. But one that I especially do not like is how many government leaders are using this pandemic to advance their political agenda. Our nation was already divided before Covid-19. In my opinion, Covid-19 has done nothing but deepen the cracks. Now, I realize Covid-19 itself is neutral because it is a virus. A virus can certainly harm people and even kill them, but what divides people is not a virus but that which is in the heart of man. Jesus knew this full well when he spoke to the Pharisees about the differences between the inside and the outside of a cup. A gun lying on the ground by itself does no harm. But a human holding a gun with evil intent can do a lot of damage.
It is not my intent to be a pessimist when it comes to talking about the nation I love so much. I mean, the USA is still united in many ways. We have many hard working people and soldiers who sacrifice their lives daily to make this country great and to keep this country free. One good thing about Covid-19 is that it has highlighted how healthcare workers in the form of doctors, nurses, and first responders are true American heroes. Nonetheless, how can we be so united when each state and region operate so differently from one another. Yes, this balance of powers is what makes America great; and states should have autonomy to decide what is best for their state. But, when I look at certain states and various regions, we don’t seem to have much in common.
This mindset has creeped all the way down into amateur athletics. I am hearing about how certain colleges or even conferences may not field a college football team this fall. Again, there is nothing wrong with college Presidents or individual universities deciding that it is best if their universities do not play college football during this pandemic. That autonomy and given freedom to decide is a blessing. But when decisions are being made to advance political agendas and not ultimately because of the welfare of the athlete or the nation, then something bad has gone wrong.
Here is how I feel. God is going to honor states and regions that honor him. There are many good governors, college presidents, commissioners, and the like who are doing everything they can keep America the land of the free and the home of the brave. Unfortunately, there are many others who don’t seem to care if we citizens lose our rights. God is not on their radar. What should we do? We should pray more than ever. Pray for all leaders in authority. Pray for all states. Pray that our country will be united so that God can bless the entire country. Pray for revival and pray for hearts to mend.
What happens in the government does affect churches. But if the church is praying, we should be affecting the government more than it is affecting us.