How do we see the COVID Journey?
We were told by Virologists of the Coronavirus task force in mid-March that we should expect to expect COVID to last through July-August timeframe. Well, here we are in late September and we are not clear when all changes in our lifestyle will “go back to the way it was. No one seems to know how much further we will travel in our new daily habits.
Ironically, Andy Crouch and his team wrote about the winter motif as a way of thinking about the impacts of Covid-19. He suggested a blizzard may be difficult, but that it is not long term. “This will be over in a few days or a couple of weeks”, we said. A winter season last usually lasts 3-5 months of the year. We know that springtime is coming, and it will be sunny and warm again. However, an ice-age does not necessarily imply hundreds of years, It can be 16-19 months to 30-50 years. Andy Crouch suggested March 20th, this pandemic was going to reassembly an ice-age.
Regardless of how long all of the impacts of layered disruptions last, how are faith leaders to make sense of this radical change and then how are they going to lead a new version of the faith community? One of the exilic Psalms can help us in getting through a prolong national crisis. God’s people are in Babylon. When you read Psalm 137 you hear the people lament over being tormented by their captors to sing songs from their homeland. Notice v.4. – “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? That is a statement of despair! The emotion of v.4 sums up our emotions today! How can we carry on in the face of so many layers of disruption in our church efforts?
We must reach back into scriptures to find our footing and solid marching orders. “Go into all of the world…..” is still a biblical mandate that must be followed. Do not allow yourself to become paralyzed because of all the social unrest. Stay focused on what matters biblically. There are three keys which will bring success in this endeavor:
- Clear endorsement and vision by Senior Church Leadership
- A clear pathway that disciples can follow and feel they are growing as Christ-followers
- A metric assessment to measure the progress of the strategy
Do not become prey to the notion of building a large church without massive community impact. Make disciples first, community impact will follow.
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