Since almost the beginning of the current pandemic this question has been going around in my head. Sometimes when things happen I get frustrated with God for letting them occur. I usually figure out later that God knew what He was doing all along – I am thankful He is patient with me. As I experience the Wuhan virus along with the rest of the world, there has been no such frustration. Oh, I have absolutely been frustrated with the series of events that blend together to to form what we call the pandemic, but not with God. Instead, there has been the on-going question of what are we to learn from this?
I am confident God knows exactly what He is doing and is doing exactly what needs done. Do not misread this and think I am saying God is causing this world crisis. I have no idea whether God has brought this upon us or has let it come upon due to our actions and negligence. Either way, it is here because of us. In a general, universal sense, sickness is in the world because of sin and we are the sinners, the ones who have sinned and fallen short of God’s plan for us. In a more specific sense, the horrors this world experiences at different times are here because of our sinful actions, including this Wuhan virus; whether sent by God or allowed by God, it matters not.
God uses times and events like these to instruct us and correct us. All through the scriptures, especially in the Old Testament history of Israel we see God instructing and correcting Israel through trials and hardships. What are we to learn from this time?
I do not claim to know all the answers to that question and it is quite possible (and even likely) with God that there are not only multiple answers, but perhaps even different answers for different peoples in some cases. Some of the answers will be broad in scope, encompassing whole nations and groups of people, perhaps even the whole world, while some may be more specific to a smaller group; perhaps the church or a church, or a family, or even an individual. We need to seek these answers in prayer.
One answer is our greed. Through our desire to make more profit, regardless the consequence and ignoring the human cost, we placed ourselves in a dangerous position.
For years we knew about the sweat shops in China. We knew about the human rights abuses. We knew about the internment camps. We knew about the persecution of the church. But we didn’t care, we loved our Smartphones and sneakers too much to care. And it goes beyond that. It was cheaper and more profitable to have the oppressed workers in a nation led by Godless leaders make our medical supplies and so much more of our supply chain. We were good with that. Until a pandemic started in that country and put a terrible strain on the items we so desperately needed to fight the virus. Not only did it drastically slow the production capacity there, but the Chinese needed large amounts of these supplies that would have been shipped to us. Our greed tied us to a country that oppresses its citizens and persecutes the believers. Not just corporate greed – but all of us.
There is more to be learned from and during this time of struggle. What will God show us? You must be looking.