It’s a global health pandemic.
But it seems that the fear that accompanies is it is just as real, just as fierce, just as deadly.
It’s natural to have questions, of course.
What are we meant to do?
Why is this happening?
Where should I turn to?
Who is responsible?
How can I save myself?
Natural questions, sure, but all based on fear. All seeking to understand, control, self protect. And the truth is that there are some things, in fact, many things in this life that we simply cannot understand, cannot control, cannot hide from. COVID-19 is one of them.
The thing is, that even if we had answers to the what, why, where, who and how it doesn’t actually remove us from the situation. It doesn’t make COVID-19 disappear. It doesn’t make us immune. And perhaps that is why the fear is so real because deep down we know this to be true. We know, as the bible tells us, that we can’t add a single moment to our lives by worry, by fear. And so we feel powerless. Perhaps that is the root to the fear we feel, the sense of pervading powerlessness.
And so the question remains – what can be done? Where, or to whom must I turn to? Whilst the world waits, albeit trembling, for some sort of vaccine or answer, what can we do about the fear that remains?
The beautiful truth is that whilst we may be powerless to answer the coronavirus related questions, there is one who can override our fear – if we choose it. If we choose him. Jesus, the perfect love that drives out all fear.
Jesus said ‘come to me, all who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give you rest”. Rest. Peace. Before Him, we can shrug off the burden of fear and find rest for our souls. He didn’t say he’d make the baggage disappear, like magic, or that there would never be burdens again, but he did say come. Come and find rest for your souls.
When Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, walked on water he didn’t walk on still calm waters. He walked out into the storm. He left the shelter of the boat he was in because he understood that to be near Jesus was actually the safest place to be. The storm was raging, the waves must have been choppy and scary, but Peter fixed his eyes on Jesus and he walked to him.
Whilst we may not be in a boat, we are in a storm. Whilst we may not be able to leave our houses (if you’re on lockdown) the storm of fear is very much raging within.
Now is the time to fix your eyes on Jesus, to walk into the storm knowing that only with Him can we find peace. Only with Him can we lay our burdens down and find rest for our souls.
Whilst the world waits for an answer to COVID-19, we already have the answer to the shadow of fear that follows – Jesus.