The world that we took for granted just a few weeks ago has ceased to exist. Our country is a nation that has long been known for, and has celebrated, freedom of movement. We are a people on the move. We are in an almost constant state of interaction with others, be it in restaurants, bars, theaters, gymnasiums, stores, businesses, schools, or sporting events. Now, suddenly, that movement has ground to a halt. We have become a people in self-imposed house arrest. And as city, state, and federal governments are warning, if we do not voluntarily cease unnecessary social interaction, then the government is prepared to enforce our isolation. Our world has drastically changed. The only question is whether that change is short-term, long-term, or permanent.
In an almost unprecedented display of governmental authority, church attendance has been severely curtailed. Authorities have directed that all gatherings be limited to fewer than 10. Church worship services have ceased altogether. The overwhelming majority of churches are cooperating with these directives. So, even within the church, virtual communities have become the only communities that we have.
How are Christians to respond to a world caught up in the midst of a pandemic?
The Church Fathers
You may be surprised to learn that we can find help in our search for answers from the early church fathers. For we are not the first generation of believers to face that question. In fact, less than 150 years after Christ’s resurrection a devastating pandemic swept across the Roman Empire, one of a series of plagues that killed millions.
The first great pandemic, referred to as the Plague of Galen, was during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. It began in 165 AD and lasted 15 years. The cause may have been the first appearance of smallpox in the Western world. So devastating was this pandemic that by the time it was over between a quarter and a third of the empire’s entire population had died. Aurelius wrote about the plague, describing caravans of carts and wagons hauling away the dead. Entire cities and villages were abandoned. The emperor himself joined the casualties when he died of the plague in Vienna in 180 AD.
Then from 250 to 262 another plague, the Plague of Cyprian, struck the empire. This time the culprit may have been measles. When striking a previously unexposed population, both measles and smallpox can be quite deadly. At its height 5,000 people a day died in the city of Rome alone.
Keep in mind that when these plagues first hit only a few generations had passed since Jesus walked the hills of Galilee. Christianity was still in its youthful, vigorous, formative, years. How did those early believers respond to the pandemics that they faced? What can we learn from their example? Their own writings offer testimony to what they believed and how they acted on those beliefs.
In his Easter letter in 260 AD Dionysius, the bishop of Alexandria, wrote a lengthy account of the efforts of local Christians to nurse plague victims, often at the cost of their own lives.
"Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life supremely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead. The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal of martyrdom"
The heathen behaved in the very opposite way. At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treated unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease; but do what they might, they found it difficult to escape.
Galen lived through the first epidemic during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. What did he do? He got out of Rome quickly, retiring to a country estate in Asia Minor until the danger receded.
He goes on to note that Galen’s response “was not seen as unusual or discreditable at the time. It was what any prudent person would have done, had they the means.”
What accounts for the dramatic difference in the pagan and Christian responses? I am reminded of what happened during the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers. As thousands ran from the towers, firefighters and police ran towards them. Stark points to the contrasting belief systems of paganism and Christianity as the explanation:
This difference in pagan and Christian morality was noticed by the pagans, even by those who hated Christians. Tertullian claimed, “It is our care of the helpless, our practice of loving kindness that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. ‘Only look,’ they say, ‘look how they love one another!’”
Even more striking is the testimony of those pagan opponents themselves. Stark relates the account of the Roman Emperor Julian, a bitter opponent of the Christian movement:
Julian launched a campaign to institute pagan charities in an effort to match the Christians. Julian complained in a letter to the high priest of Galatia in 362 that the pagans needed to equal the virtues of Christians, for recent Christian growth was caused by their “moral character, even if pretended,” and by their “benevolence toward strangers and care for the graves of the dead.” In a letter to another priest, Julian wrote, “I think that when the poor happened to be neglected and overlooked by the priests, the impious Galileans observed this and devoted themselves to benevolence.” And he also wrote, “The impious Galileans support not only their poor, but ours as well, everyone can see that our people lack aid from us.”
Lessons to be Learned
As we are confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, what lessons can we learn from the example of these early Christians?
First, we should face this and every crisis that comes our way with courage. Fear has no place in the life of a believer. We affirm that God is in control. At times like this our actions either demonstrate the sincerity or the falsehood of those declarations. Our marriage vows include the phrase “in sickness or in health.” Our commitment to God demands no less.
By this I don’t discount completely the positive role that fear can play in our lives. If a rabid dog approaches your fear response to that threat can save your life. What I speak of is the kind of unreasoning, paralyzing, despair-provoking fear that robs us of all hope, peace, and confidence in a future.
Second, COVID-19 does not release us from our obligations as Christ followers. Our discipleship is not contingent upon circumstances. The Golden Rule was not suspended. That means that hording or fighting over that last roll of toilet paper at Walmart is not only socially unacceptable behavior, but also blatantly unchristian conduct that must have no part in us. Generosity continues to be an obligation.
Third, the Christian life is one of sacrifice. That goes double in times like these. Christ commands his followers to take up their crosses daily. We must be the ones who set the example for others. We may be called upon to sacrifice our comfort, our personal resources, our money, or maybe even our health and safety.
Fourth, with sacrifice comes an element of risk. We are promised eternal life. We are NOT promised an earthly life free of sickness, discomfort, or pain. Nor are we promised long life on this earth. In fact, sometimes to be obedient to Christ means risking our very lives.
So as we face this crisis together, we continue to pray. We continue to worship, if only in our homes or remotely via the internet. We do our best to model the kind of prudent actions that our medical authorities have urged us to take. We don’t engage in foolish risks. But protecting ourselves is not an ultimate good. So if you are qualified to donate blood, for instance, then for the sake of others you assume the small but real element of risk that donating blood entails. The coronavirus is not the only problem that people continue to face today, and those everyday needs must continue to be addressed. People still need their daily bread, and as Christians we may need to take extraordinary actions to help meet those needs.
In recent news there was an example of where a willingness to sacrifice and risk can lead the Christ follower:
Friday, May 22, 2020
Friday, March 4, 2016
Las Primicias.
“Honra a Jehová con tus bienes, y con las primicias de todos tus frutos; y serán llenos tus graneros con abundancia, y tus lagares rebosarán de mosto” (Proverbios 3: 9 y 10).
Si personalizo la lectura de este Palabra: “ Si honro a Jehová con mis bienes y con las primicias de todos mis frutos; serán llenos mis graneros con abundancia, y mis lagares rebosarán de mosto”.
Dios dejó en Su Palabra la fórmula para que seamos prosperados, para que alcancemos la provisión que Él tiene para nosotros sus hijos, y que también de este forma su Obra crezca y se fortalezca. Es a través de las ofrendas, diezmos, primicias y pactos (votos).
Se nos dice que honremos a Dios con nuestros bienes. Lo hacemos cuando diezmamos y ofrendamos, o cuando hacemos voto o pacto especial con Dios. Pero hay un énfasis en el texto en las primicias.
¿Qué son las primicias? Fue la primera relación que tuvo el hombre con Dios. Luego de recibir lo que la tierra le daba, reconocía la soberanía de Dios trayéndole lo primero y lo mejor de ella.
· Se demostraba así la fe en la sobreabundante provisión de Dios.
· Era símbolo de dependencia. “Lo que tú me diste es la que hoy te traigo”.
· Era símbolo de que nada es nuestro y todo pertenece al Señor.
· Era la manera de manifestar lo que después la Ley estableció como el primero y más grande mandamiento: “Amarás al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, con todas tus fuerzas, y con toda tu mente”.
Consagrar los primeros frutos y lo mejor de mis cosechas era demostrar que en mi corazón estaba primero Dios. Ese corazón agradaba a Dios y eso lo bendecía.
Vamos a Génesis 4: 1 – 5. No existía aún la Ley ni el sacerdocio, pero los hombres se acercaban a Dios con sus ofrendas. Abel lo hizo con sus primicias. Trajo de los primogénitos de su ganado lo más gordo de ellos para Dios. O sea, trajo lo mejor. Caín al parecer hizo sólo ofrenda, si el cuidado de traer los primores de su cosecha.
A Dios le agradó la ofrenda de Abel, y Dios lo enalteció.
Consagrar las primicias a Dios era una señal de amor y fe que agradaba a Dios (Ex. 22:29).
Algunos ejemplos.
Monday, February 1, 2016
What are the biggest challenges facing Christian teens today?
What are the biggest challenges facing Christian teens today? There certainly are many. I compiled a top 10 list from surveys that have been done but also from my experience over the last few years working with and counseling teens. Here’s what I came up with:
1. Personalizing/living out your faith
2. Living in an anti-Christian culture
3. Sexual purity pressures/temptations
4. Identity and self-image issues
5. Divorce and family issues
6. Negative media influences
7. Busyness
8. Absent father figures
9. Lack of discipline
10. Materialism
These are issues that teens have all dealt with to some extent at some time or another. The bad news is that these issues won’t go away. As we mature and grow in our faith, we gain experience and ammunition in battling them, but as long as we live in this fallen world, these issues, challenges or problems will always be there.
it’s interesting that Paul gives us principles in this letter to deal with several of these issues. Remember that Paul wrote many letters as he was facing some pretty big challenges of his own being imprisoned in Rome. Even in his chains, his focus is on God, and on his role as an apostle of Jesus Christ and on his commission to spread the gospel.
We start by seeing that God’s purposes are often accomplished through our problems. Paul didn’t focus on his chains but instead on the advance of the gospel. Paul was able to see God’s purposes even through his problems. It may be helpful for us to ask this question: “How will this trial or difficulty that I’m going through right now help me to present the gospel to someone?” That’s a pretty radical thought, isn’t it? The sharing of the gospel should always be our goal. Paul was compelled to preach and did so to the many palace guards that were chained to him around the clock. The result was that the message of Christ was spreading throughout the entire imperial guard. We then see that courage is contagious and that other Christians were being emboldened by Paul’s bravery. We finish by looking and how clearly the message of Christ was what was most important to Paul.
We are all going to face problems. Today’s teens are surrounded by them. The good news is that with an upward shift of our perspective, off of our circumstances and onto God’s purposes, we will be presented with opportunities that we may have never otherwise had. But we need to make sharing the gospel our goal, take courage from other Christians and not get caught up in what other people are doing but rather focus on the message of the cross of Christ going forth. May that be the objective and ambition of our lives.
God bless you
Johnny Mendoza.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)