Pandemic Theology Jeremiah 1

The world is in a crisis. The coronavirus COVID-19 is pandemic, affecting almost the entire globe. This coronavirus does not discriminate. It kills people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. It is a deadly virus. It not only causes physical death, it has sequelae—conditions that result from a previous disease. It is causing economic slow-down. It leads to increased stress resulting in an increase in domestic violence, suicide, drug abuse, and various violent crimes. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issues warnings and guidelines on how to best deal with this disease and how to best prevent its spread and save lives.

President Trump is being criticized for the way in which he leads the country during these times, but he cannot be blamed for its existence. We could go on and on about this disease; its origin and its effects on our lives. In this article I want discuss the role of God in this crisis. Did God cause this disease? Is this a disease caused by demons? How should the church respond? Should the church follow the guidelines suggested by the CDC? When the church follows the suggestion of the CDC to close its doors is this a signal that the church lack faith in God who is able to supernaturally prevent the spread of the disease in the church house? What can we say about God in this crisis? What do we, the church, believe about God?

In the last few days I have seen on Facebook church pastors make observations about the effects of the coronavirus. Some have questioned the CDC and government officials that are willing to open up businesses that they label essential while at the same time they close churches. While some church leaders question the experts, others are willing to follow the guidelines. Instead of complaining and criticizing they are discovering how to continue worship virtually. They are in the process of learning new ways to connect believers together and they are beginning to look for new ways to better serve their community? What is God doing?

One of the pastors stated that this virus is caused by a demon. Therefore, the church must not close its doors and go into hiding. If the church operates in fear it is giving power and permission to the demon to continue its activity of spreading and causing death. The church must be bold and depend on the supernatural power of God who is able to heal all diseases. So, I want to ask two questions. Does God cause suffering in the world? Do the devil and his demons have the power to cause suffering?

That God cause suffering in the world is hard for many people to believe. Yet, when we examine the scriptures we learn that God causes suffering. The question of theodicy has been around since the beginning of communities. The question is this. Why does God allow the righteous to suffer at the hand of the wicked? Another question is this. Why does a loving God allow suffering at all? Why does a loving God allow an innocent infant to die in a tornado? Why would God allow His people, the church, to die because of the coronavirus since He has the power to prevent and heal disease? Do the scriptures support the idea that God causes suffering?

When Moses is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites, He informs them that the Lord will bless them if they obey His commandments (Deut. 28:1-14). If they disobey His commandments they will suffer (Deut. 28:15-68). I hope that you get it that Moses says three times more about suffering than he does about blessings. Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land. He leads the people to successfully take possession of the land. However, after Joshua and the leaders of Israel that served with Joshua die the people sin in that they turn to the gods of the natives in the land. God gives them over into the hands of their enemies and they suffer. “All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done in Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals” (Judg. 2:10-11, NASB). This became the pattern of life that the Israelites lived until God raised the Assyrians that took into exile the Northern Kingdom (722 B.C.) and the Babylonians took into exile the Southern Kingdom, Judah (586 B.C.).

When we read the Old Testament prophets, we do not hear God saying that He will allow His people to suffer. On the contrary, the Lord specifically says that He is going to cause the suffering.”Then the LORD said to me, ‘Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north’ declares the LORD; ‘and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah’” (Jer. 1:14-15, NASB). In this passage God is not passive. He does not allow the families of the kingdoms of the north to come against Jerusalem. On the contrary, God is active. He calls the families of the kingdoms of the north to come against Jerusalem.

God loves His people. Sometimes judgment and punishment are necessary in order that people are caused to suffer shame and guilt. People come to acknowledge their sins. They lament and repent. God does not seek to utterly destroy His people. Ultimately, God sends His wrath, but God intends their suffering to lead them back to the good that He has in store for them. “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you, ‘declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope’” (Jer. 29:10-11, NASB). Now, let us address the second question. Do the devil and his demons have the power to cause suffering?

Now, most of the Christians that I am aware of believe that the devil has the power to dispatch his demons to cause suffering. There are two passages of scriptures that support this belief. “The LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking on it” (Job 1:7, NASB). “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him. So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD” (v. 12). In this dialogue between Satan and the Lord, it seems that Satan has the power to walk in the earth and do harm; to cause suffering. However, the Lord protects His people and the Lord must give permission to Satan to cause suffering. In the New Testament, Peter warns, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8, NASB).

God and the devil, both, cause suffering. This brings me to a third question. Why should I believe these self-proclaimed prophets that say that the Lord has told them what to do? I have a pastor, and I believe that my pastor seeks knowledge and wisdom from the Lord. So, why should I listen to them? I am cautious when I hear religious leaders declare that God has given them a message that I should follow. Now, I am not accusing anybody of anything, but the scriptures warn me that there are false prophets in the world. “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many’” (Matt. 24:4-5, NASB). Take heed to this precautionary warning from the apostle Peter. Peter writes, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bring swift destruction upon themselves” (2 Pet. 2:1, NASB).

We do not always know what God is doing in the earth. Therefore we walk by faith and not by sight. The Christian life is built upon these words, “The righteous will live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4, NASB; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). A pandemic theology is the same as the theology that we must live by every day of our life. God is creator and sustainer of the universe. God is omnipotent; having all power. God is omnipresent; everything is in God’s presence. God is omniscience; God has all knowledge. God is immutable. God does not change in His character and His promises. We can depend on God in this pandemic crisis in the same way that we depend on Him when things are normal.