Looking Through 90-Year-Old Eyes

 

The COVID-19 virus has taken over our lives.  Social media and regular media alike are saturated with non-stop stories and posts allegedly designed to keep us well-informed; but I think these outlets are fueling fear and panic more than disseminating information.  The only good thing I can gain from this is that I haven’t seen any stories or posts on politics or the 2020 election recently, and for that I’m very thankful!  But does this current situation HAVE to take over our lives?  While it is inconvenient and annoying for all of us, shouldn’t we as Christians approach something like this in a different way?

My mother quietly turned 90 years old this past week, and making preparations for an upcoming family party to celebrate her longevity has helped me to look at things with different eyes.  There’s a reason the Bible tells us to respect our elders and seek wisdom from them.  When I look at all that she has seen and heard in 90 years of life, I am filled with awe at how resilient humans can actually be.

Born just a few months after the 1929 stock market crash, the first ten years of her life were permeated by the Great Depression – and then there was a long world war.  All of her formative years were spent seeing poverty around her, shortages for everyone, government rationing (during the war), and lowered expectations of what we all deserve.  As a result, my Mom is probably the most frugal person I know (except for maybe my Dad before he died).  The culture of her childhood was much quicker to share with neighbors and help others – because everyone 

was in the same boat together.

Not so in the 21^st century.  Although King Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) told us that “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), we seem to think we are currently in an unprecedented situation that we somehow must seek to control for our own benefit.  So it doesn’t matter if my neighbor has enough toilet paper or food to eat; all that matters is that my family has enough to last until the end of time.  But Christians should be different.  We shouldn’t be giving in to fear and panic like everyone else.

Why?  Because we have been told not to cling to this life (Luke 17:33), but to see it merely as a stepping stone to eternity with God.  The only purpose of our life on earth is to grow more Christlike and bring glory to God – thus preparing us for the eternal life we were created for.  This life is NOT the point!  In times of crisis, it is important for us to remember this and model this for others.  If we fully trust only in God – who alone is certain and unchangeable, we will understand that whatever happens to us in this life is within his sovereignty and designed for our best – no matter how painful it might be from a human standpoint.  If COVID-19 is contracted by me or someone I love – even if it brings death to our family – God loves me and knows what he’s doing!  I am not more important than anyone else.   

When I think about the positive things we Christians can be doing during this crisis, I don’t have to look any further than at Jesus’ example.  We think we are “suffering” right now; but imagine what it was like for the fully divine ruler of the universe to make his dwelling place on earth (John 1:14).  Every moment of Jesus’ life, his experiences were totally “other” than what he was accustomed to.  If you think it’s difficult to deal with some of the people you know, imagine what it was like for Jesus! 

Yet his example for us was to love everyone, have compassion on them when they were off-base, pray for them, and sacrifice his own rights for the sake of others.  Prayer should be first and foremost – it is one of the few things we can do consistently from the isolation of our homes.  But let’s make sure we aren’t using our prayer time to further our own self-interests by asking God to keep us and everyone we love safe and protected.  While Jesus told God exactly how he felt about his upcoming suffering and death, he quickly submitted his will to God’s will in regards to his own problems and devoted most of his prayer time in the garden to lifting up others, including us.  Are we praying for the families who have lost someone during this crisis?  Are we praying for the isolated and confused elderly who can no longer be visited by their family members?  Are we praying for people to be open to hear the gospel and for changed lives during this difficult time?  The list could go on. 

Most people in our society are responding to COVID-19 in self-protective ways and trying to get whatever they think they deserve – at the store, from their employers, from the government, etc.  But as Christians we know that none of us actually deserves anything but suffering and death.  By God’s grace, we have all been shown mercy and given a way to eternal freedom.  Does my response during this worldwide crisis lead others to the truth, or do I look just like everyone else?