COVID-19: WHEN DISASTER BECAME A GLIMPSE OF GRACE

Allow me to bring you to a certain point in the life of the disciples when their hopes, expectation, and promising future shattered and was turned into pieces. Mark chapter 5:33-40 records the narrative of Jesus’ death. What a tragedy for the twelve who had put on Jesus their hopes of a better life, position, and status. Christ was their master, their Lord, and their only literal hope of a status change, and He is dead! That tragic afternoon of Christ’s death became their dead end. However, to their surprise, what they think was the ending, in God was yet the beginning.

COVID-19 has put the world into great havoc. Uncertainties have ruled the world’s atmosphere. That feeling of frustration knocks on our doors. The feeling of hopelessness when the disciples lost their hope is a haunting feeling for many of us now. As people struggled to figure the meaning of the event. Christianity is challenged with the struggle of looking for answers. We are challenged to be at peace amidst a dead end. We are challenged to focus amidst chaos. We are challenged to trust amidst uncertainties. This is a challenging situation for all of us.

However, what if, this what we think as uncertain will be the certain reason to unite back families. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to connect back lost connections. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason for our faith to grow. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to be back to God. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to increase the commitment of the government to care for their people. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to deepen the dedication of our police officers and military men to keep the safety and security of the nation. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to propel creativity and innovation. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to awaken generosity and altruism. What if, this uncertainty can be the certain reason to see in humanity a glimpse of goodness. What if, this havoc is the very reason to produce in us the peace that passes all understanding.

What if our dead ends with COVID will be the threshold to our new beginnings. As we continue to hold on to that grip of faith, let us be assured with the words from Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Our humanity fails to trust and believe but the Grace of Christ is covering us. This soon will pass and will mark our new beginnings—a new beginning of a strengthened relationship with Christ, a new beginning of closer and deeper relationships, and a new beginning of responsible citizenship. Like the disciples, there was the resurrection morning. In full faith or not of the disciples, Jesus came to life again to fulfill His greater mission of restoring as all back to God. Christ promised to be our strength not for a moment but forever.

In the midst of COVID-19 let us continue to find the fine pearl of Grace buried in the deep ocean of uncertainties and fear. This is when disaster became the language of Grace!