God and coronavirus
There are over 174 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 all over the world in 2021 with the USA leading at 35 million cases. And the stats get even grimmer with over 4 million people across the globe have succumbed to the infection. With no seeming end in sight, one can’t help but wonder, where is God in all this?
One of the biggest arguments against the existence of God is pain and suffering. Atheists argue that if there is a God in heaven, who is as good as all religions portray him to be, then why does he allow people to go through pain and suffering? As logical as this school of thought may sound, it fails to realize the importance of pain, which is vital for survival. Some people are born with a defect that makes them unable to feel pain. These people, research has established, die younger than anybody else. See, if you touch a hot stove, you feel pain and instantly recoil. If it were not for the pain, you would continue touching the stove and eventually burn off your hand. If you sprain your foot, the pain will remind you to go easy on it until it heals completely. Without the pain, you would continue using the leg and do even more damage to it.
So those who argue that God doesn’t exist, or that he is unfair for causing pain, fail to understand that pain is actually one of the best gifts God gave humanity. Pain protects us from harm. Pain sends a signal that something is not quite right and this inspires us to take the necessary corrective measures.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
Another question that comes to the surface in times of crisis is why God allows bad things to happen to good people. The only way to answer this question is to refer to what the Bible has to say about good people. And the best scripture to refer to on this topic is the account of the rich young ruler in the gospels. Check it out; as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Mark 10:17-18
Even before he could get to the gist of why he had come to see Christ, Jesus interrupts him to let him know that he was wrong in calling Him good for no one, except God, is good. See, Jesus had already discerned that the young man felt justified to go into God’s kingdom because he was a good man. He had kept all the law – or so he thought. Let that sink in – no one is good. Even the most moral person on earth still doesn’t qualify for God’s standard of being good.
So, the question shouldn’t be why God lets bad things happen to good people. The question should be why God lets good things happen to any of us to begin with. For no one is good enough to qualify for God’s goodness. We only have a two-dimensional view of whatever is happening around us. God, on the other hand, sees everything in multiple dimensions. Many times, we only see the crisis that wasn’t averted but we never realize the millions of other crises that were averted. For every one bad thing that happens, God has probably blocked hundreds, thousands, or even millions of others from happening. That should really put everything into perspective.
Does God care?
One time, Jesus was with his disciples in a boat. They were crossing the lake at night. Jesus had been busy with ministry and he was understandably exhausted. So, he decided to take a nap at the back of the boat. Almost as soon as he slept, a storm set in and it was threatening to capsize the boat. The disciples tried all they could to brave the storm but eventually, they threw in the towel and turned to Jesus.
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:37-38, NKJV. The disciples were agitated at the master – they were facing death and there he was napping at the back of the boat like all was well. So, they questioned if he really cared about their welfare. Jesus awoke, rebuked the wind and told his disciples; “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40
This question reveals why Jesus was seemingly unperturbed by the raging storm. He had faith that the storm wouldn’t kill them. And he was hoping his disciples would have the same faith. This COVID-19 situation caught all of us by surprise and it got real very fast. One day you are watching it on the news, the next day it is down your block. In such a crisis, most people respond in fear. You are constantly wondering if you will be the next victim or if your family member will be. But as Jesus demonstrated in Mark 4, storms shouldn’t move a Christian.
As long as you focus on the storm, you will always be frightened by its boisterous waves. But if you focus on God instead, the seemingly huge storm will suddenly become insignificant.
Conclusion
Trusting in God during a time of crisis does not mean ignoring the reality of the crisis. Walking in faith during the corona pandemic doesn’t mean ignoring its harsh reality. But it means realizing that even in bad moments, God is still good or as the musician said, the God of the mountain is still God in the valley; and when things go wrong, he will make them right. Everything under the sun has an expiry date. While we may not know for sure when COVID-19 will end, we know it will. Meanwhile, just keep hope alive and do not allow fear to dominate you. God is still watching over you and he will keep you safe. And if you have already lost a loved one, remember the words of the Psalmist – precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints (Psalms 116:15). Death is not a destination but a passage into eternity.