The Bbile doesn't say anything about COVID-19 (and if it did, we wouldn't like it)

If you are like me, perhaps you have been wondering what the Bible has to say about the COVID-19 pandemic.  I have been reading and thinking about the response the Biblical prophets or the apostles would have to say to the church in like of these events.

            Granted we live in confusing times and we are given confusing messages from Evangelical Christian leaders. From Kenneth Copeland spitting on the COVID-19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkyDS5ULts) to Pat Robertson claiming that we have cowered before a virus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtiUOr-Vw80) to churches trying to ‘liberate’ states from Social Distancing mandates, the church has been confused as to what direction they need to go with this virus.

            So what about the Bible? What does the Bible say about this? Surprisingly very little.  There is no explicit guidance as to what to do during a pandemic….although many Christians are pointing towards Psalm 91 as proof that God will protect you from the coronavirus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObpY9DcNhic).  In particular Psalm 91:6 seems to be the verse that people key in on: “nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday” (ESV). 

            But let’s be clear. Psalm 91:6 is not God’s promise to you that you will not get coronavirus.  The Psalms are poetry that express general feelings about the Lord, not direct promises from God to you that will neither suffer harm nor have pain inflicted on you.  Psalm 91 is not a medal of protection that will keep the virus at bay from you. 

            Plague, famine, destruction are all things that God’s people have faced throughout history.  While there have been instances of individual’s being spared the devastating effects, God has never excluded His people from these plagues.  In fact, often it is Christians who are in the front line of these plagues, putting themselves at risk and often succumbing to the effects of them. Jesus is not the ‘vaccine’ for this virus (https://www.christianpost.com/news/jesus-is-my-vaccine-protest-sign-declares-in-pennsylvania-as-people-demand-reopening-of-economy.html).

            So if the Bible doesn’t have much to say about pandemics directly…what does it say?

            Well, here many American Evangelicals might not like the answer.  The main thrust of Biblical ethics are directed toward helping your neighbor and protecting their lives.

            We are now seeing Evangelicals protest and demand for their right to open the economy.  At the behest of the President, they are seeking to ‘liberate’ the states and ignore social distancing guidelines. We have seen many churches even defy these directives and continue to meet because they see it as an act of faithfulness ( https://www.thedailybeast.com/louisiana-pastor-tony-spell-vows-satan-and-virus-wont-stop-easter-service-as-others-make-unusual-plans). American Evangelicals see the social distancing restrictions placed on the population as a cause to rally against in the name of Jesus…because….Jesus is American?

            But this does not do justice to the overarching concern that the Bible has for life and for love of neighbor.  A consistent theme is that Christians should be willing and ready to sacrifice…well everything…for others (John 15:13).  In the current case, social distancing guidelines could save the lives of people at risk for this disease.  Just as we should be cautious about spreading any disease, we should be ready to sacrifice some of our personal liberties to keep others safe.  This virus is spread very quickly and has a long incubation period. This means that during one church service has the potential to spread this virus to thousands of people.  While I do believe that corporate worship is important, the witness we send to the world about our concern for others is equally valid.

            Near where my family lives, there is a large megachurch (with an obnoxious statue of Jesus in the front yard).  They have vowed to continue to hold services despite being encouraged and ordered not to. The reaction from neighbors is one of contempt and disgust as these Christians are putting others at risk for disease and possibly further exacerbating the medical system.

            But what about the damage done to the economy? Shouldn’t we open up the economy because people will be adversely affected by this? First let’s be clear…yes there will be economic repercussions from this, that is inevitable. But why are Evangelicals thinking of this as an either/or scenario, as if the choice is either we open the economy and sacrifice lives or we keep it closed and hurt people later?  

            Let’s be clear: the Bible would see this as a both/and situation.  Yes we are going to protect people from this virus by sacrificing some of our liberties.  And yes we are going to help people in the aftermath of this virus by sacrificing some of our wealth. See what the Bible calls Christians to is to do the best regardless of the situation we find ourselves in.  We minister to the best of our ability to all people and try to do the best regardless of how it will impact us.

            We do not get the option to sit back and do nothing.  We do not get the option of arguing that the economy is worth more than people’s lives.  We do not get the option of sitting back and watching others struggle with poverty while we thrive.  We are called to love and to work for the life and well being of all. Isn’t that the pro-life position of the Bible (Exodus 20:13, cf. WLC 135-136)?

            What does the Bible have to say about coronavirus? Probably not much.  But it does say a great deal about acting in love, which is what we are called to do in this time…and everytime.  

The Problem According to Evangelicals

One could say that there is a lot wrong with the world today.  I mean…just look at the fact there are 9…9 Fast and Furious movies!!!!  We can point at the lack of economic prosperity in large parts of the world, diseases like the coronavirus and the threat of constant war as evidence that the world is in trouble.

As we continue our exploration of Evangelicals, we need to understand what they feel is wrong with the world. We spoke about this in the last columns, “Who do Evangelicals Think they are,” and “Where do Evangelicals live?”.  In those columns, we saw that Evangelicals think of themselves in a siege mentality.  They are the true Church and face attack from the Roman Catholic Church and the Liberal Church.  The United States is their sacred homeland and even this is under siege by the powers of liberalism and atheism, which threaten the very core of the country.

The problem, for Evangelicals is that the World is anti-God. It is not that the World is agnostic, undecided or indifferent to God, it is that at it’s core the World is at war with God. Drawing (often times unknowingly) on the theology of John Calvin, the Evangelical Church views the world as God’s enemy and everything that happens in the world is somehow related to this view.

If people promote the legalization of abortion or of gay marriage, it is that they are in opposition to the clear teachings of Scripture, and therefore to God. Politics, by its very nature becomes a battleground in which the forces of God are in opposition to the forces of Satan. Abortion and homosexuality are often the touchpoints that demark the boundary lines. If a person is anti-abortion, then they are on the good side, no matter what other positions they may hold.  Likewise, if they hold the line on homosexual marriage, then whatever else they say is fine. This goes a long way in explaining the 80% approval for Donald Trump.  He may have questionable morals and a great deal of what he has done is in opposition to the gospel, but he has appointed pro-life justices to the Supreme Court and therefore he is good.  Donald Trump, Evangelicals will say, is like a Cyrus, a flawed man who is on the side of God whether he knows it or not.

Science too becomes a means by which the gospel is attacked.  The scientific consensus in the world is that evolution is a thing.  In response to this, which Evangelicals believe is an attack on the literal interpretation of Scripture, and therefore in opposition to God, Evangelicals have had to counter the Theory of Evolution on every front.  In 1925, the Scopes Monkey Trial pitted a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 against the theory of Evolution. In many ways, that trial has never ended for the Evangelicals, even as most of the world has moved on.  Groups like Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research often argue that these scientists are deceived or blinded in their opposition to God.  Therefore, a Christian should not accept their teaching on these matters, relying instead on their interpretation of the Bible.

A similar phenomenon has happened in regard to Climate Change.  Evangelicals, deeply suspicious of the scientific community and models, resist Climate Change research as an another deception forced upon them by the ‘mainstream media’ and ‘scientists.’ The Word of God, they argue, says that God will never again destroy the world (Gen 9:11) and therefore there is nothing to fear.  Rather, if we believe the Climate Change science, we are in opposition to God because we demonstrate that we do not trust Him.

This siege mentality lead to the persecution mindset that affects many Evangelicals.  Every year we read about the “War on Christmas” and failed efforts to bring prayer back to public schools. We read about how Christians are persecuted because the Ten Commandments can’t be posted on court house property.  Evangelicals view themselves as a minority, powerless in the face of the corporate powers of Hollywood, the Media, and the Democratic party. 

At the end of the day, what is wrong with the world is that everybody is against God…except for the Evangelicals.  They are the only ones that are truly on God’s side.    

Where do Evangelicals Live?

       “Home sweet home.”   “There is no place like home.” “Home is where the heart is.” “Take me home…country roads…” “You can’t go home again…” Ok, well maybe not the last quote, but the word ‘home’ evokes a powerful memory in all of us.  We define home as the place we are from, the place we go to when we are scared…the place that is sacred to us. 

            As we continue to learn about Evangelicals in the 21^st century, we are confronted with the second of N.T. Wright’s five questions: “Where do we live?” As we examine this question, we will see how important the concept of home is for them. 

            As we have seen, Evangelicals view themselves as the true heirs of Christ’s church, the last protectors of the true faith and the only legitimate church.  They find themselves caught between liberalism on one end and secularism on the other.  They see themselves always on the defensive and they need to protect their territory against all enemies.

            “Where do we live?” or “where is home?” is important for Evangelicals.  So where do American Christians live?

            Well…the United States…obviously…duh.

            Ok, yes, the United States is the physical home for the American evangelical church.  But it is not the physical location we are talking about…it’s the spiritual…or philosophical meaning that is truly important.

            The United States has always been important in Christian history.  The Puritans arrived here to have religious freedom (so one myth goes).  God has appointed the United States to be a ‘city on a hill’ to bring the light of Christ to the world (so another myth goes).  But there is a sense in Evangelical understanding that this country is the rightful heir of Israel in the Old Testament.   The United States is a special country, chosen by God, to be a vessel for the transmission of the Gospel throughout the world.

            Christians look to the Founding period to assure themselves that the Founding Fathers envisioned a Christian nation. The United States, the argument goes, is a Christian nation, conceived to be such.  Authors such as Peter Lillback, demonstrate that George Washington was extremely concerned to create a Christian nation.  Popular myths, such as Washington almost being killed by Native Americans during the French and Indian Wars, become evidence of God’s providence. Christian Evangelical scholar David Barton reinvents Thomas Jefferson as a devout Christian who has been deconstructed by liberal scholarship.  John Adams is summoned to talk about the necessity of the country’s Christians ethos. American history is rewritten to a Christian narrative in books like The Light and the Glory, which are taught in Christian schools and homeschools around the country.  The modern narrative is that the United States is one of the last true vestiges of Christianity in the world. It must continue to be a light in the darkness and the city on a hill.

            But the problem is that this Christian nation is under threat by the same enemies that they themselves face.  The liberals and secular powers want to make the United States into a non-Christian nation.  National issues like abortion and homosexual marriage are battlegrounds in the ever lasting war over the soul of the American nation.  If the United States continues to allow abortion or homosexual marriage, then it is evident that the United States has turned it’s back on God.  If this happens, the Gospel will suffer and many will not be able to achieve salvation.

            These issues are very important to the Evangelical church because they are directly related to the vision they have for America.   If any issue or topic can unite the hopelessly disjointed Evangelical church, it is the hope for the United States.  Evangelicals will unite around a topic like abortion because the very home they love is at stake. If the United States embraces liberalism, it will deny God and therefore forsake the very purpose of its existence.  

            ‘Battles’ over political issues reveal the true war going on in the country for the Evangelical Church.  Abortion, gay rights, socialized medicine, gun control all represent issues that threaten the spiritual and moral fiber of the country.  Evangelicals align themselves with conservative politicians and issues because these politicians represent the heroes fighting against the tides of evil.  This explains why so many Evangelicals are willing to forgive conservatives for sins while lambasting liberals for the same failings.

            For many American Evangelicals, the role of the country and the church are tied into each other. The traditional values must be adhered to, otherwise God will be angry.  Almost every year at the See You At The Pole, students around the country pray for the country and recite 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NIV).  This verse, taken out of context and applied to the United States, becomes a banner by which the Evangelical Church can unite for a common purpose.

            It is no wonder, then, that we are seeing the rise of Christian nationalism within the country. Rich Lowry’s book The Case for Nationalism provides an understanding for the Evangelical church not only to the power of nationalism but also for a purpose in resisting the cases of evil. Nationalism provides an avenue for Christians to pursue wholeness and wellness for the country that God has blessed them with. 

            Where do Evangelicals live? They live in the United States…one nation UNDER GOD…which has been called to be the special receptacle of God’s grace and the foundation for God’s kingdom in the world.  Remember that Evangelicals view themselves as the true heirs of God’s teaching…God is preparing them a special country to live in, just like he did with Israel. 

            Ideally, although they would never admit, the Evangelical Christian would like to live in a theocracy.  In fact, many already believe they do.

Who Do Evangelicals Think They Are?

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As we try to understand the current religious and political landscape in the United States, we are confronted with the question of Evangelicals. Who are these people? What do they want? Why do they support the President in such ardent, fervent fashion? To understand this question, we must apply the questions that N.T. Wright employs in his book, the New Testament and the People of God, to address the concerns of this influential group.

            The first question Wright asks, is “Who are we?” This question refers to a group’s self-identification.  Who do Evangelicals think they are?  This is apart from any external source labeling them or any reference to the truth (i.e. historical, etc). The answer helps us understand the motives and the worldview behind their behavior.

            Much like the Pharisees in the New Testament period, today’s Evangelicals believe they are the last remnant who have been faithful to God throughout history.  The church has become corrupt, especially in the teaching of the Roman Catholic church.  Therefore, the Reformation is viewed as an essential turning point in the faithfulness of God’s people (the Protestants). But now, even the mainline churches that historically stem from the Reformation have turned their back on Jesus and embraced liberal theological doctrines.  (The Orthodox don’t even come into the picture as they have largely been forgotten by the Non-Catholic Christian Church).  Now it is up to the Evangelical church to be the sole steward of the eternal truths that God has passed down from the Bible. The Evangelical Church must keep itself pure from the luring chorales of the Mass, but also the tempting call from the camp of liberal theologians.  The Evangelical church sees itself that it must keep itself pure from these teachings.

            Because of this, the Evangelical church sees itself as besieged by outside forces.  The secular culture seeks to make them conform to the principles of the world. This is most evidenced by the cultural phenomena we see like ‘the war on Christmas,’ or removing prayer from school or removing monuments of the Ten Commandments. Everywhere the Evangelical church looks, it is surrounded by enemies.  This does not lead to despair, however, because the Evangelicals are the true Church, who have remained faithful to God and God will not abandon them.  They latch onto the book of Revelation for proof that God will reward their faithfulness and will defend them from all of these enemies.   

            But the flip side of this is that Evangelicalism also finds itself falling apart in the middle.  For centuries, the doctrine of “Jesus and Me” have been preached to the point that many do not feel it necessary to be among other believers.  The first part of the fallout of this doctrine was the growth in non-denominational or independent churches. By pulling away from larger bodies, individual congregations had more freedom, but also less accountability.  While denominations used to be kept together by subscribing to documents like the Westminster Confession of Faith, now each church is free to create their own standards.  Now there is no glue holding Evangelicals together…just a vague sense of we well….we kind of agree on some stuff…but it’s not substantial and not solid enough to hold things together.

            This feeling has trickled down to the individual level.  Most Evangelicals will talk about their ‘personal relationship’ or ‘personal walk’ with Jesus because that is what matters the most.  Evangelicals see themselves, not as a ‘block’ or a ‘group,’ but as a loose affiliation of ‘Jesus followers’ who all have the same instantaneous access to God through the Bible, prayer and the Holy Spirit.  Each of them are on their own individual journey, but they are marching to the same destination, much like the pilgrims did in Ancient Israel.

            There is a sense that that a lack of cohesion or unity is missing.  Often times, an Evangelical leader like Francis Chan will try to call their followers back to a more communal experience…authentic Christianity, purpose driven Christianity, Ancient-Future Christianity, just to name a few. These movements are often very popular but very fleeting, because of the lack of glue keeping them together. And so the Evangelical Church struggles with the sense of being church.  The Bible reminds them that they must be together and united as a people, but they often times find this just out of reach and this leads to confusion.

            While this is written to interpret but not critique Evangelical Christianity, this lack of unity is a critique.  The Evangelical church finds itself fracturing more and more under the weight of their own theology. This had led to more and more Christians trying to discover, ‘God’s plan for the Church’.  House churches are starting to replace megachurches, just as megachurches replaced mainline churches.  There is a nervousness present in Evangelicalism because the future is uncertain for the movement.

            At a time when we have more people in seminary receiving MDiv’s than we have churches, we have more Bibles available to us than ever before, and everybody s

eems to be putting their opinion out there (the irony is not lost), what does the future of Evangelicalism hold? What can bring them together, what can ensure that they are able to defeat their enemies and win the day.  Well to understand that, we need to ask the next question: Where are we?