Covid-19 has certainly been a universal crisis. However, life can be full of crises on both an individual basis and a society basis. Individual women get raped and communities or even countries get devastated by natural disasters. Recently the editor of the Sword of the Lord newspaper, Dr. Shelton Smith, shared 10 anchors that he has help to in all of his life crises – to include the current Covid-19 situation. Here they are along with the scripture passage foundations.
1. When fear comes, God provides – Psalms 56:3 and 2 Timothy 1:2.
2. Christians can pray – Jeremiah 33:3 and Hebrews 4:16
3. We can have wisdom – James 1:5 – 6.
4. We have our responsibilities of citizenship – Romans 13:1
5. We must think of others – Matthew 7:12.
6. We must be beacons of light – Matthew 5:16.
7. We must take care with offenses – 1 Corinthians 10:31-33.
8. We must believe God – Romans 1:17.
9. We can keep standing – Ephesians 6:3.
10. We can do the Lord’s business faithfully and fervently – 2 Timothy 4:5.
This list of anchors fits so well with other words of wisdom shared in recent editions of the Tribune such as in editorials and various articles. When our grandmothers churned butter, the cream rose to the top. This situation is churning us and stuff is rising to the top out of people. Like with butter making, sweet stuff can be made or sour tasting buttermilk can result.
We see sweet stuff as people help each other in need and where families take time to do things together again. There is a sweetness in people slowing down and enjoying the beauties or life or the blessings from some enforced frugality. There is a sweetness in having church online when we cannot in person.
We see sour results in those preachers who crave publicity to the point of putting their congregations at risk by refusing to go online. We see sour results when people buy up a decade’s supply of toilet paper and hinder others from getting just a week or month’s supply.
As with grandma’s butter milk, it is our choice on what we do with what comes up in us during the crisis.
