This article was first published on the 30th of March 2020.
Last updated: March 30, 2020 at 20:47 pm
The coronavirus pandemic which is spreading around the world like wildfire has given unbelievers fresh grounds to ridicule religion, particularly Christianity. It has even caused believers to question their faith.
There have been jokes going viral on Facebook such as “the coronavirus has even slowed down religion. Pastors are waiting for the coronavirus season to end so they can return to their work of healing the sick.“
Then there is the one of churches asking members to send their tithes by Cashapp.
Interestingly, many people have found God during the coronavirus battle. And God has been praised for His goodness even in these trying times that test our faith.
We’ve heard the story of pastors being arrested for failing to adhere to the law against social gatherings, and we’ve even heard stories of whole churches being infected with the coronavirus. Then, in those savage and barbaric countries, we’ve seen members of churches being beaten and chased home by police.
But the ultimate question here is: should church be suspended during the coronavirus outbreak?
It’s a controversial question, since many people ask, “don’t you claim that Jesus is in the midst of your gathering?” Yes, the Bible does teach us to have faith in God, but it also commands us, “thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to a test.”
We’ve all heard those stories of pastors who had deliberately put their hand in a serpent’s mouth to “test God” and ended up dead. Of course, Jesus never said to do that. When Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, the devil said to Him, “if you are the Son of God, cast yourself down, for it is written, ‘he will give His angels charge over you.'”
But Jesus rebuked the devil by saying, “it is written, ‘thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to a test.'”
In the same way, while we know that God has power to stop the coronavirus, we should not use it as an opportunity to put God to a test.
In conclusion, it’s OK for churches to suspend services during the coronavirus outbreak. It’s also OK for churches to join the fight in solving the humanitarian crisis by practicing social distancing, praying for the sick and helping those in need.
