Giving Thanks in a Pandemic

             It is nearly a year since we moved back to Newent.  We were just getting settled when lockdown happened.  It hasn’t been an easy time, not being able to do normal things like attend church, sing with others, visit and be visited by people, shop as and when we want to, and trying to be careful to stay safe with all the changing regulations.  In all these hardships and difficulties I have been challenged about how I am responding to the situation.   I have realized that I have often focused on myself, and consequently this has resulted in negative conversations that have not encouraged or built people up.

            Paul reminds us to “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).  It is the ‘all circumstances’ that has been going through my mind a lot recently.  The problems and difficulties associated with the pandemic are part of those ‘all circumstances’.  Am I giving thanks for all the circumstances that I find myself in?  The answer has been ‘NO!’  But as I have thought about it more I have been seeing lots of things that we can give thanks to God for.  That doesn’t nullify the hardships or difficulties, but it helps us to look at what we are facing in a different way. 

            What are some of the things that we can give thanks to God for?  It is easy to look back to the past and find things for which we are thankful – our salvation, our new life in Christ, the fellowship of the church, for family and friends – the list could go on as we think about it.  But the implication of Paul’s exhortation is that we should be giving thanks for the things in the ‘now’.   It is easy to think of all the negatives – we can’t meet as a church or sing together, we can’t entertain or have people (even family) in the home, and other restrictions, which can easily lead to complaining.  But Paul’s exhortation is to give thanks in ‘all circumstances’. So how do we do that?

            We need to begin by asking God to open our eyes, so that we can see the things that God is doing in our present situations.  It can also be helpful at the end of the day just to think through all that has happened that day, and see how God may have been part of those events.  For example, we may have enjoyed a church service online.  We can thank God for the technology that is now available freely that churches can use to communicate the message of God.  We can thank God for equipping members in church who are capable of putting programmes together, for those God has gifted to communicate the message, or sing, or communicate well with children.  We can thank God for the wider reach of an online service, and for all who listen who don’t know Christ yet.

            On a more personal note, we can thank God for the opportunities He may have given us to bless someone with a phone call, or to talk to a neighbour, keeping social distance.  We can thank God for His daily provisions and care, or for more time to do things that we weren’t able to do when life was so busy.  If we are going to be thankful, we need to be looking out to see what God is doing each day through the circumstances of our lives. 

            But there is another aspect to this.  James reminds us that “the testing of our faith produces steadfastness [or endurance]” (ch.1:3).  The implication is clear.  Life isn’t going to be easy, and so patience and endurance are needed that will require perseverance, not giving up easily, because the rewards are worth sticking at it for.  James says that we are to count it all joy when we meet these trials.  Another word we could use is to be thankful for it.  As we see beyond the immediate difficulty or hardship to what God will do for us or in us, we can learn to be thankful.  Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that all things are working out for our good, even if we don’t see the outcome until later.  We might not see the ‘good’ in a situation immediately; in fact, we might not even see the final outcome in this life.  Even when life seems to be treating us badly, God is still in control to bring out good at His appointed time.  In the meantime, we continue to trust God, thanking Him that he has not left us on our own, for He has promised never to leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  Peter in a similar way talks about our faith being tested, as gold in the furnace to get rid of the impurities so that it might be proved genuine (1 Peter 1:6-7).  So when we go through hard times or difficulties, we can be thankful, for God wants to prove us, mature us, and develop character through these times.  Let’s look up rather than down, and when we share with others, we can give hope and comfort as we share what God is doing in our lives, without discounting the hardships or problems we are going through.     

Reading the Bible during the Pandemic

             A recent poll has shown that during this pandemic, 74 percent of church going people believe the Bible is important for them to have a personal relationship with God.  According to the poll, 63 percent of church going Christian adults in the UK and Ireland say the Bible has been crucial to helping them deal with life’s challenges since the first lockdown from March.  Simon Lennox said: "The most radical thing we can do for our mental and spiritual health during this season is to be in conversation with God, in prayer and in Scripture. Ultimately, if we are going to face the uncertainties of life - death, disease or famine - we need to start the day with our certainties in Christ."[1]  The other finding from the poll indicated that just over 60 percent of regular churchgoers felt the Bible encouraged and motivated them during the pandemic. 

            I find this encouraging, but also challenging, as we face another lockdown.  That people are turning to God’s word is great news, but what about the other 40 percent who don’t seem to be?  The Bible not only provides the answer to the needs that we have but, as the quote above suggested, for our mental and spiritual health we need to be in conversation with God.  And as people have more time, turning to the Bible for their need is a great place to begin; but more than that, we should be seeking to have a relationship with God.  We may be lonely or anxious about life, worried about how things are going to turn out, but to know that God is there, and that He wants to have a conversation with us, should be and encouragement to us. 

            One approach[2] I was made aware of recently in which a devotional reading of the Scriptures “is meant to help the reader experience communion with God through the text.”[3]  It consists of four parts, in which a short passage of Scripture is read, meditated upon, prayed through, and then the reader thinks about how God may be calling us respond.

            The passage that was given to try out this method was Romans 5:3-5.  Below is my attempt at using this method on the passage and some of my thoughts.

            The passage will be read four times.  The first reading is to seek to understand what the passage is saying, listening to it and consider its meaning. 

            As I thought about the verses, I was struck firstly by the fact that Paul was rejoicing because of his suffering.  The word ‘rejoice’ has the idea of ‘boast’, ‘take pride in’.  Why would Paul take pride in suffering?  Because there are benefits resulting from suffering we go through.  The first is that suffering produces endurance.  If we are going to get through suffering, whatever shape it might take, we will need to be patient, we will need to persevere, to keep going in spite of the difficulties; this requires endurance.  The second thing I noticed was that character produces hope.  Character, in the Biblical sense, points to someone whose faith has been tested and found to be maturing.  Such a person’s faith will be able to trust God more, and as a consequence, hope in God will be strengthened.  Such a person will not easily be shaken because he will have the assurance that he is loved by God, by a love that has been poured into his life because he has received the Holy Spirit.

            The second reading of the passage will be for the purpose of meditation and contemplation.  Notice words, phrases or images that resonate with you. For the sake of space I will highlight my thoughts.

            First why does verse three started with, ‘Not only that’?  We will need to look at the context here. Second, why should I rejoice in suffering, that is, take pride in it?  Also endurance or patience is a quality that doesn’t come easily.  What does it mean for God to ‘pour’ His love into our hearts?  How will the hope spoken of in this passage change the way I view suffering and life?

            The third reading is for the purpose of praying through and responding in prayer to God about the things that God has shown you.

            And finally, reading through again is so that we can respond and act upon the things God has revealed to us.  What kinds of suffering might we be faced with?  I thought of things like how should I respond to criticism, whether justified or not.  Being ignored, or on a more tangible level, being diagnosed with cancer, being made redundant, or some other situation that is difficult to deal with.  What kind of response do we have now?  What will responding to this passage produce in our lives

            As we take time to think and meditate on a passage of Scripture like this, God can speak to us, and we can respond to God in prayer and action.  It will deepen our communion with Him, strengthen our faith in God, and we will see changes that God will be working out in our lives.  Let’s make the most of lockdown to strengthen our relationship with God.

[1] https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/new-study-shows-bible-has-been-a-lifeline-for-christians-during-pandemic?_psrc=personyzeRelated

[2] This is a adapted approach of a method called Lectio Divina a Latin term meaning “Divine Reading.”

[3] The Sanctuary Course, Session 5, p.58