Have you ever felt more a part of a global community and at the same time more repelled into isolation? We are learning all kinds of new vocabulary like “social distancing,” “flattening the curve,” “epidemiologists,” “virologists” and so much more. Our favorite entertainments of sporting events, concerts, going out to restaurants and even worshipping at church have been greatly disrupted. People are dying around the world, with the threat of over a million fatalities. Yet we are also told we could have the disease and present no symptoms at all. People are shopping for weeks of food at a time, and some have stocked for years on toilet paper (still a mystery to all). Accusations that some people are being “too hyper-anxious” and others “minimizing.” Social distancing is already impacting working parents with kids at home, while others aren’t fortunate to have a secure paycheck anymore. We are told this could go on through July or August, and most people live from paycheck to paycheck. So! What is the Jesus response to such times? If we are the light of the world, what should that actually look like right now? How will we have authentically brave hearts in a scared world?
