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What does God have to say to us about the COVID 19 crisis?

Breaking the Silence – our safe ministry policy.

COVID 19 – What does God have to say to us about the COVID 19 crisis?

1. The virus teaches us how frail we actually are. The words of the psalmist ring true: The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind [or COVID-19] blows over it and it is gone and its place remembers it no more. (Ps. 103:15-16).
2. The virus teaches us equality. The virus does not respect ethnic boundaries or status boundaries.  Tom Hanks and Peter Dutton can be infected.  It teaches us that we are all members of the great human family created in the image of God.  In our suffering in the pain of losing a loved one we are completely equal.  Weak and without answers.
3. The virus causes us to lose control. We love to be in control.  And more than ever before we can control significant parts of our lives.  But perhaps this sense of control is an illusion, a bubble that the corona virus has popped, revealing the reality that we are not really in control.
4. The virus teaches us to know the pain of being excluded.  Which is reminding us that our creator created us for relationship.  We are having at the moment to deal with isolation. It’s an experience the leper community of Jesus’s day knew all too well.  They had to walk up and down the streets of their hometowns calling out “unclean.”
5. We are being taught the difference between faith and fear.  All over the place there are people making high anxiety decisions – attempting to assert control.  If I can’t control anything else, at least I can make sure that I have enough toilet paper.  But I want to remind us that Jesus the good shepherd is in control – and we should look to faith rather than fear at this time.
6. We are driven in this crisis to God and our need to pray.  We can call out to our Father in heaven and pray for the sick, the vulnerable, for those treating them, for those in high risk situations, and the elderly.  We need to pray for the authorities for wise calm and decisive leadership.  And we need to pray for people to repent and the Lord Jesus to return.
7. We can use this crisis to reflect on what is most important.  That we will all eventually die. And that for some beyond that there is eternal death.  This should motivate us more than anything to talk to our friends about the importance of being prepared for eternal life.

These  few  reflections are from Dominic Steele, Lead pastor at The Village Church Sydney, and drawing from Mark Oden in The Gospel Coalition.

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Breaking the Silence

At Wauchope Presbyterian Church all of our leaders and all of our volunteers who have direct ministry to children have Working With Children Checks and are trained in the safe ministry policy and procedures of the Presbyterian Church in NSW. We encourage all of our church members to do this training as we foster a safe space and culture for those who are vulnerable.

If you have any concerns about the protection or safety of children, young people, or the vulnerable you are encouraged to contact the Conduct Protocol Unit at: 02 9690 9325 or via email at: cpu@pcnsw.org.au

For more information please go to: www.breakingthesilence.org.au

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Last Updated on 4 January 2024 by Admin