Is the Coronavirus God’s Judgment on Us?

There are plenty of Old Testament and New Testament passages to support that view, for sure. However, there is another view that Jesus set forth for us to embrace. What Jesus revealed is that God loves the world and all of us in it, and He hurts over the pain in the world along with us. But, He has created us with the power to choose life or death for the world and ourselves. That is rooted in Old Testament theology, too, and still holds true. In fact, it is built into the fabric of creation. When we care for the world and one another, we are choosing life.

When we live by greed and supremacy over one another, we are choosing death. Our attitudes, words and actions either add weight to the “life” choice or the “death” choice for our lives and the world. We are all in the boat together on planet Earth, suffering along with one another for the weight of our “death” choices or enjoying peace and goodwill due to the weight of our “life” choices. In other words, we need to be praying prayers of confession and renewal of focus on good choices, as much as for intervention from the judgment of an angry God. 

Let’s be honest. Are our prayers based on a foundation of fear or faith? Does the hope that God will intervene arise from an Old Testament foundation or New Testament? Remember, we are New Testament people! In the Old Testament view of ancient agricultural people, all the bad things that happened to their crops and their lives had to be explained in some way. They believed, like most of the ancient world, that human actions led to God’s direct judgment—meaning, God’s direct action in condemnation.

Since humans are prone to live outside God’s plan, most any dire situation can be traced to human failure—so it is natural to think bad things are judgment and that God is condemning. It is one of those paradoxes in scripture—it is not untrue but not the whole truth. In ancient times, there was a view that carries over into today—that they had to placate God, i.e. hold their hands up in prayer long enough, correct their lives, or get enough people to swarm heaven with prayer. I used to think that way myself. But honestly, isn’t that more out of fear than faith?

To be clear—this pandemic is not punishment from an angry God waiting to be placated. This is what happens in a fallen world, and Jesus told us what to do: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NIV). God wants us to simply turn to Him and admit that His way is best. So, that is what I’m doing—asking for protection, seeking wisdom in how to protect ourselves, knocking on whatever door I need to (like where to get toilet paper!)—and searching my heart, asking for what I am to learn from this experience.

I don’t expect God to answer my prayers because I am good, but because He is good. I don’t ask him to protect my family because we are better than anyone else, or closer to Christ than anyone else, or have earned His help because we have enough people praying—but because He has told us to ask! It is good to know in this complex situation that there really is a simple path to follow—trust in God and ask!

As for what the Lord is telling us in these trying times, I think we know if we are paying attention. I think the Lord is saying, “SEE? How much better life can be if you slow down, pay attention to one another, care for one another, take walks outdoors, notice nature, sing, play musical instruments, make art, cook and eat simple and healthy food, live simply, generously, with compassion—and pray humbly out of faith and not fear.”

So, in that sense, yes, I think there is the judgment of saying, “You have been spinning out of control and this is what happens when you do that.” But, His main word is “I love you. I don’t want you and the world to suffer like this. Come to me and let’s find a better way.” Or, as Jesus also said, “ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30, NIV).” Now, does that sound like a God of merciless judgment and condemnation?

So, our prayer focus needs to be in the direction to which Jesus pointed—goodwill toward creation and one another. I have read that there is already some evidence in waterways of improvement in water clarity because there is less human activity! Already there is visible evidence that the earth is sighing in relief and moving back toward health. Just like our bodies, when we avoid toxins, our health returns.

I hope people will notice how good it is to have time with their families, time to think and pray, read and take care of projects that there was never time to attend to. Let us never forget the lessons to be found in this situation and commit ourselves to putting them into practice in the future.

I hope you will pray with me:

Lord, I pray for every human being on this good earth to become aware of the critical situation that the world is in currently so that they can take care of themselves. Grant us all the information, resources and wisdom we need to manage this worldwide emergency and save as many lives as possible.

For those in authority, grant them accurate information and guidance for making the best decisions.

For those responding to medical needs, bless them for their compassion, courage and commitment to meet the needs of the sick and dying. Protect them and strengthen them.

For researchers around the world, I pray that they will lay aside concerns about funding and just commit their energies to focus on a vaccine and a cure for this disease and many others. Help pharmaceutical companies that fund a lot of research to put greater value on solving health problems than making billions.

For educators and students, lead them to find ways to help education continue—so students may continue to grow in knowledge and expertise that will enable them to take their place as productive members of society. We pray for creativity, imagination, skills, resources and determination, and ways to inspire and encourage at-home studies. We will need them to help build a better tomorrow.

For men and women out of jobs, at home with families for days at a time, at a loss to know what to do—help them trust in your presence to lead them to the resources they need and grant them patience to bear with one another in the down times, support one another in the scary times, forgive one another in the offensive times, and find some simple pleasures to enjoy together.

For people of faith who value community and find themselves having to be separate for the good of all, help them to listen to the voice of the Spirit and use good judgment and creativity in finding ways to connect safely and extend hope to one another, their neighborhoods and communities.

For those charged with the responsibility of keeping communities safe and sorting out legal issues and making public policy, we pray that they will sense their own fallibility and carefully make decisions out of compassion for humanity.

For those who have been accustomed to having most anything they want, and now are seeing their investments tumbling and businesses facing insurmountable losses, we pray for a reassessment of what truly matters in life and a determination to live life in the future with generous spirits.

I pray that we all will recognize that we have coveted more than we needed, eaten more than is required for our nutrition, chosen to wear, build, drive, buy and do those things that are associated with the “good life”—but which are not all truly necessary for life.

I pray that we will have a clear understanding of the elasticity of our world and that our excessive spending and consumption in our circle of life draws resources away from people in even remote areas of the world. When we use more than is needed here, something is depleted elsewhere. Forgive us, Lord.

I pray that this enforced period of slowing down will reap many blessings—that people will realize that the whole world has been spinning out of control—with many partying too much, reveling too much, living too recklessly, living immorally, expressing too much anger, taking delight in defying common decency, seeking shock value and overdosing on self-centered, arrogant attitudes, flamboyant lifestyles and violent militancy.

Lord Jesus, you said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” We see that more clearly in these troubling times and humbly ask you to receive us as we turn to you in faith so that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Amen.

For those who have joined me in this prayer:

May God bless you with a sense of His Love and comfort you with peace to believe that He is on our side. Remember, this is not punishment from an angry God. This is what happens in a fallen world, and Jesus told us what to do: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, NIV).

So, that is what we are to do in times like these—ask for protection, seek wisdom in how to protect ourselves, knock on whatever door you need to (like where to get toilet paper!). In doing this, we are not praying because we expect God to answer based on how good we are, but because He is good and invites us to depend on Him! We don’t ask him to protect our families because we are better than anyone else, but because He has told us to ask!

It is good to know in this complex situation that there really is a simple path to follow—trust in God and ask, because Jesus told us we can trust Him!

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