The Covid 19 virus pandemic and the George Floyd murder have one thing in common. There is no immediate solution. With the virus, we are told to hide in our houses with our masks and sanitizers and hope for a modern-day Passover. Yes, there may be a vaccine someday… but maybe not.

With the George Floyd murder and the police brutality and racism it again reveals, our collective instinct is to protest. Seniors write letters to the editor (or blog 😊), while the young take to the streets.

What if we reversed the actions? What if in response to the Covid 19 virus pandemic we were to write letters to the editor and our young were to take to the streets? What if in response to police brutality and systemic relations we were to hide in our houses with our masks and sanitizers?  Ridiculous, of course, but achieving the same result – NOTHING. The virus will continue to kill the elderly and weak, while individual police officers in various municipalities and jurisdictions will continue to brutalize suspects – often with a racial component.

Scientists are currently telling us that Covid 19 is weakening – as it mutates subsequent strains may be less infectious, less deadly. Good for us now, but there will be other viruses, other pandemics. It is the nature of people to fall ill and die.

In conversations with our daughter it was suggested that racism is generational, and that with each generation we are getting better. But we are not. Racism may be taught by our elders, but it is also taught in real time by our reactions to life experience. It is the nature of people to hate others.  

The reason for both is the same. It is the original sin against God at the time of creation, carried down through the eons and borne by each of us. So what is the solution? A personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. That alone will provide us a path of redemption that will heal families and relationships. The comfort we can gain in realizing that God is in control and that all things will be made right in His time. That if we share the love that Jesus has shown us that we will not be the officer who takes a knee on the neck of a suspect, that we will not be intoxicated with drug or drink and fall into the clutches of the police.   What does a relationship with God give us? Strong families, a framework for living guided by a loving God, not by situational ethics; and a comfort that as we grow old or ill and die that we are living and dying on God’s promises. God is faithful. As God advances, the stereotypes that fuel racism will recede. It won’t be tomorrow, next year, or even next century. Absent a foundation in faith, no amount of social work or “police reform” will be effective. Marching will result only in sore feet and broken hearts.

In 2 Kings 1:3 Elijah challenges the messengers of King Ahaziah to chastise the king for seeking to inquire of the Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, whether the king would recover from his injuries. Elijah tells them to ask of the king if it is because there is no God in Israel that he seeks counsel from Baal-Zebub. Based on his failing to inquire of the one true God, God states that King Ahaziah will surely die.₁

This passage has come to me again and again during our current pandemic, as I see Christian leaders enquiring not of God, but of political leaders as to whether or not they should honor God and worship Him as He has directed in the Bible. Even as we exalt a God who created the universe, breathed life into dust, healed the blind and lame, and brought the dead back to life; we place our Bibles on the shelf and hide in our homes until “science” tells us it is safe to resume what our political leaders perceive as our non-essential superstitions. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.₂

Politicians indulge us as ignorant children while they worship at the altar of medicine. It’s easy to understand why we are treated thusly, as we so blithely dispense with the full armor of our faith in exchange for a paper mask.

Will God bless us if we follow His word and continue to gather in worship? A better question is will God bless us if we don’t? God is a Spirit, and we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth.₃ I don’t know if God will protect the health of those who gather together, not because I doubt God’s faithfulness, but rather because I’ve come to understand that God is not a preserver of flesh. God will sustain those whose presence in this world is needed for his purpose, but even then He will sustain them only for that season. Absent from the body, present with the Lord is the promise to which we should cling.₄ Many believers will succumb to the pandemic, but we are reminded that we are not to grieve, as do those without hope.₅

Churches in the United States pay no taxes. This is not because the government favors them, but rather because at the time of our nation’s founding they were deemed to be on a similar footing as foreign embassies, under an authority distant from Washington or local capitals. How quickly we forget that! Would an ambassador of a foreign power take instruction from our government, or would they seek counsel from the leader of their own? Why do our Christian leaders seek counsel from our government, rather than seeking the counsel of the King of All Creation? In so doing, are they not seeking counsel from Baal-Zebub, just as King Ahaziah did? Is it because there is no God in Israel? This passage haunts me and leads me to fear for our Christian leaders; fear that they have yielded their rights and authorities and that the Christian church in America will surely die.

 ₁ 2 Kings 1:2-4 2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

4 Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

₂ 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

₃ John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

₄ 2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

₅ 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

I have three children, all grown. In retrospect, I don’t know that I’ve been a very good or effective father. Living on the spectrum for me has meant that I’ve not always been attuned to social cues, verbal or non-verbal. Similarly, I don’t know that I have ever demonstrated the capacity for a knowing and deep emotional connection. Not that I don’t feel such a connection, but that I am challenged to communicate it and demonstrate it. Although not consciously, I looked to the models of fatherhood that I had in my life. My own father dwelt on the same spectrum on which I reside. His inability to visibly connect created a seeming distance between us, though there were moments when he reached out to comfort me and briefly displayed a depth of love that was otherwise invisible. Although it touched me in the moment, like water to a thirsty man the brief sip only heightened the unanswered craving.

When I look at myself in the mirror, I often see my dad looking back. My connection to my children was often only in brief moments that exacerbated the daily distance. When I look at our Father God, too, I see a similar distance. A distance born of sin and waywardness, but having been born in sin, we never had the experience of communing with Him in the garden before the fall. Under the old covenant, God was distant, demanding, and seemingly more given to punishment than blessing. Many in the Old Testament seemed to strive not for God’s love, but to avoid His judgment.

When Jesus came, though, He brought a witness of God’s love. A demonstration of humanity and a willingness to connect emotionally. Through his sacrifice Jesus became not only our pathway, but our intercessor. Going home to the Father God’s house can only be done through Jesus. He said “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me₁”. In truth, I wouldn’t want to approach the Father without Him. Even so, I want to model the fatherhood demonstrated by Jesus. Jesus wept, and bled, and grieved, and loved. In the Old Testament, Father God’s love was understood in a rational sense. He must love us, because He hasn’t smote us. In the New Testament, He showed His love in the sacrifice of his Son, and His Son demonstrated His love directly in His interaction with other people.

I see in some ways that the Father God of the Old Testament often showed the traits of a spectrum father – distant, disengaged, better at demonstrating anger than love. Mercifully we have a fuller revelation of Father God in the New Testament – a Father I want to know better and to Whom I want to be closer.

₁ John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is an old adage that says the English laugh at a joke three times – first when they hear it, the second time when it is explained, and the third time when they understand it. I can’t speak to the accuracy of the adage wherein the British are concerned, but how often we see the same pattern with the spread of the gospel. In the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 we are taught that when we spread the gospel sometimes it will fail to be heard (… some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up₁), sometimes it will not take root (some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away₂), sometimes the environment will squelch the gospel (… some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them₃), and finally sometimes it will be received, embraced, and taken to heart (… [some] fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold₄). Too often we think of the soil as representing three disparate groups – one group that is inattentive or disinterested, one group that gives passing attention, one group that is unreceptive due to bitterness or anger; and finally the group that hungers for the message and takes it to heart. In reading this, though, I realized that I am all four. A daily devotional that is considered with the morning news playing in the background, an insight received from a pastor’s message when I am distracted by my plans for the afternoon, the grieving of te Holy Spirit when I allow myself to be consumed by frustration and loneliness; and finally the revelation of God’s word with the assistance of the Holy Spirit at a time and place I have set aside to commune with my Creator.  As many times as I have considered this parable, I never personalized it to myself. As a faithful steward I have to keep the soil of my heart fertile and open to God. And when I share the gospel, sowing the seed, I must not be hindered by my imaginings or assumptions of the quality of the soil, but must trust God to draw close those whom He knows are receptive.

It was not that long ago that I would see sidewalk preachers shouting the gospel on street corners as business people passed by oblivious and believe that they were not just ineffectual, but  perhaps hardening the hearts of unbelievers by their delivery.  However, I understand now that they were sowing seed, and that the person who might be disinterested today might be hungry tomorrow. 

Even as we sow the Word, let’s be careful to tend the soil of our own hearts. Too, let’s not forget the poor Englishman waiting to get the punch line. If the gospel doesn’t take root, keep sowing. 

What would you say to someone whose faith demanded human sacrifice? Pagan? Deceived? Well we need to be mindful that as Christians our faith is based on human sacrifice, too. Ours, though was the one and done sacrifice of only one Man. There had never been before or since an unblemished person who could pay the price for us. John the Baptist proclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”₁ Even in that moment he recognized Jesus’ role as God’s sacrifice for our sins. Had Jesus not been sacrificed for us, where could we find our salvation? How grateful I am that with His sacrifice the work was completed for all time. While reflecting on God’s sacrifice of His only Son, it occurred to me how often we think we would prefer otherwise when we consider His suffering. Jesus said, though, that “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up”₂ in reference to Jesus’ death by the cross. The Lord inspired me to write and share the following:

Give Us Barabbas

Give us Barabbas…

I know if I’d been in that crowd

I’d have shouted right out loud

Give us Barabbas…

He’s a sinner just like me

Who through You may be set free

Give us Barabbas…

My sins they are so great

And they’re such a heavy weight

Give us Barabbas…

Jesus cannot be set free

His blood must be shed for me

Give us Barabbas…

As the tears stream from my eyes

I know Lord Jesus has to die

Give us Barabbas…

How selfish is my cry

Lift His broken body high!

Give us Barabbas…

In Your gruesome death my life

Let me claim Your sacrifice

Give us Barabbas…

My guilt and shame its true

Will soon be borne by You

Give us Barabbas…

Your blood is on my hands

You took the fate my sin demands

Give us Barabbas…

As I cry out for your blood

I know You’ve shed it out of love

Give us Barabbas…

Now You’re risen from the grave

That this sinner may be saved

I am Barabbas

I encourage you to reflect on this. Perhaps someone who has been musically gifted might be called to use this in furtherance of the cause of Christ.

₁ John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

₂ John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

“Faith without works is dead”₁. “Saved by faith… not through works”₂. So which is it? Can both be true? It depends on the meaning that you put on the word “works”. The Bible tells us to believe, but notes that even demons believe, yet we don’t have to worry about a demon moving in next door in Heaven.

It is easier to understand if, instead of works, we think of it instead as action. The action that Jesus expects of us is not necessarily to build a church, to go to seminary, to evangelize in the streets. Indeed it is nothing that we conceive of on our own.

Think of the role of the shepherd and the sheep. In John 10:27 Jesus says “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”. The thing that we MUST do that demons won’t is to follow Jesus. Following is the action that Jesus expects of us. This will lead us away from the desires of our own hearts to the desires of His. It may include building or evangelizing – but it will be His direction and not be limited to our own understanding. Is it easy? YES! Sheep are not brilliant animals. Indeed those that seemingly have a mind of their own are the hardest to shepherd.

Jesus says “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” It’s easy to believe that He is the Truth and the Life because that is a passive acknowledgment. Accepting that He is the Way must be an active acceptance. In accepting this we must follow Him. It is no accident that the early church was known as the “Followers of the Way” – not the Sitters in the Pews, nor the Keepers of the Rules. In order to follow Him, we must listen to Him – not model our behavior or actions on the other sheep. Test what you hear against the instruction manual He left for you – the Bible. Relying on the bleaters around you may have you following a fellow member of the flock whose ultimate destiny is lamb chops rather than Heaven.

₁ James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

₂ Ephesions 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.