As I write this, we in the U.K. are in lockdown because of the Covid-19 coronavirus. There are many responses, "I'm scared", "Just focus on prevention and cure or care", "Keep social distancing", "It brings out the best in people", "Let's plan to get the economy back to normal", "It was prophesied", "It's a punishment", "Is it the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse?", "God is mending the world", "Don't try to understand, just lament". Though I find most of them possible, I don't find any of them satisfying, and all of them are problematic in one way or another [Note: Responses to Covid-19].
I want a bigger picture, so as to be able to see which response is appropriate when. It is only when I understand that I can live effectively. As a Christian [Note: 'Christian'], I want to see Covid-19, as far as possible, from God's perspective. I want to see the lay of the forest as well as the individual trees.
I have listened to the debates going on, both in Christian and in secular circles, and sought to understand insights from each, with a Biblical perspective (theological, practical and even philosophical). It seems to me that there are six things needed to gain fuller understanding, each able to begin with 'R'.
It understands Covid-19 as though God is involved, not just on the sidelines. The stance from which I interpreted these is that of 'A New View in Theology and Practice' (http://abxn.org/nv/), which treats the entire Bible (Jewish and Christian Scriptures) as valid and important as God's revelation (Word) to the world. It is merely an understanding, not a truth; truth is ever beyond full understanding and can often be misunderstood. Yet, if it lets the reader find useful insights, it will have served its purpose.
The following is a 'long summary' of these in bullet form, distilled from a longer draft that would take too long to complete. Some notes at the end expand some things. I suggest you do not try to read it straight through as you would a novel, but rather ponder the bullets a few at a time.
"He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty."
Rewiring is a metaphor that speaks of a very fundamental change. When we program a machine or computer, we change its behaviour, but programming is short-lived because we can reprogram it easily and often. When we rewire a machine we change it more fundamentally and the effect of that last much longer. We even change the kinds of programs it can accept. We might reprogram society or individual mindsets temporarily, with marketing, fashions, comedy or political campaigns. Rewiring society or mindsets is much deeper and more long-lasting.(I could have used the word "reforming", but to Christians that has historical connotations that would probably mislead us.)
Examples: Wilberforce and his colleagues abolishing the slave trade; The UK Factory Acts etc. and the RSPCA in the 19th Century; The 1904 Welsh Revival solving the problem of drunkenness; Francis of Assissi; the Reformation. And, 2000 years ago, "These men have turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).
"Rest of Creation" includes (a) the non-human world of 'nature', (b) other humans, especially the poor, (c) secular areas of life, such as economics and academia.
Yet human attempts to rewire, e.g. Extinction Rebellion, are not to be condemned nor wasted; It is the Spirit of God who implants desires for this, and we need to work with them as God leads.
Is not our prosperity the result of the Gospel of Christ and Law given through Moses, so why do we treat it as though it belongs to us alone? Is it a coincidence that Covid-19 has hit the affluent first?
Now, here is a sombre theme ...
Here is a challenge:
I believe: God has given us, through Covid-19, an opportunity to repent and rewire towards a responsible New Normal. God gave humanity the dignity of responsibility and representation. Especially responsible are God's people in affluent cultures. God's people are now being offered a special opportunity to lead the way in this rethinking, repenting, rewiring and responsibility.
The need for this has been becoming increasingly clear in the call for climate and environmental responsibility, but clarity has not been a strong enough incentive to bring this about among leaders of affluent nations, not even among God's people in affluent nations, so God has graciously allowed something that gives us more incentive. We need a New Normal characterized by responsibility, and God's people are in an excellent position to lead humanity and its leaders towards that.
Will we engage with Christ in doing this, or will we return to the our beloved harmful non-essentials? Let us go ahead in trust, humility and courageous obedience, working to take God's warnings seriously. Let God's people in academia, politics, media and management foster and lead society's debate and action about exit strategies and what the New Normal should look like.
"It's a punishment" - but for what? Some Christians too easily say it is for homosexuality etc. This article shows that if there is punishment, it is for something much deeper, and it might especially fall on affluent Christians.
"Let's get comfort" - but on what basis may we get comfort? We can anaesthetise our fears and still be destroyed. This article raises our sights above ourselves.
"Let's plan to get the economy back to normal" - but what is normal and why should the old normal be the new normal? Are there not parts of the economy that do not deserve to be rebuilt? This article suggests one basis on which the New Normal might be debated.
"It brings out the best in people" - but how long will that last, and how can we ensure it does last? Even though the media like to portray heart-warming examples of the best, what about the worst? This article shows how this might occur.
"Just focus on prevention and cure or care" - but what about other aspects of life? This article opens up other aspects.
"Don't try to understand, just lament"; those who try to understand are "silly" (N.T. Wright) - but this makes God distant and inscrutable, it makes hope too vague, and it robs us of any incentive to repent and change. This article tries to put lamenting in context.
"God is mending the world" (Justin Brierley) - but how, and in what way, and should we not be active? This article tries to show how.
However, some Christians (and others) dislike such a message. A couple of people reacted to a draft with: But does not God want us to enjoy ourselves? What about music? What about enjoyable food from developing nations - does it not provide an income for those who grow it? We were really blessed when we flew abroad. Is not God extravagent in providing for us and blessing us?
These questions have challenged me all my life alongside the notion of responsibility, and a full answer cannot be found here. Yes, God supports "non essential" delight - indeed, God wants the entire Creation, human and non-human, to "sing" and "clap". Yes, even plants like trees or vegetables; CS Lewis expressed it as "the kind of joy a vegetable can have".
Yet, is there not something deeply evil when we the affluent demand, expect and justify increasing amounts of pleasure, comfort or convenience for ourselves when the provision of them harms others? Exotic foods grown in Kenya for example rob local people of land to grow their own food. Is it right to import (demand, expect) tropical fruits (oranges are 90% water) from lands without enough water for their own people? Does not this transfer water in the wrong direction? Is it right to fly to developing nations and stay there when (a) flying disproportionately serves the wealthy (only 20% of the world' population have ever flown) and contributes disproportionately to climate change emissions, (b) our expectation of certain levels of comfort, water-availability, food, etc. puts unseen pressures on local resources? Christian development agencies like TearFund have recognised these realities for years; are our donations to them doing much more than merely undoing the damage that we ourselves do?
There is no easy answer to those those questions. I don't want to ban pleasures. But do the questions above not disguise a self-centredness that is not of Christ? Whatever level of affluence we enjoy, do we not think it is 'ok' and only those richer than us are extravagent? Should we not "take heed to ourselves", questioning our assumptions, expectations, aspirations and 'demands'? Maybe we can get just as much joy out of life by simple, local things, especially the natural world? They say "Travel broadens the mind" - but does it not also narrow the mind, like a telescope offers a narrow view of distant things so we don't see what's near?
Yet GDP was not mandated by God, but by narrow human rationality. Do Jesus' words "You cannot serve God and Mammon" apply here? According to Bob Goudzwaard ('Idols of Our Time', IVP) economic growth is an idol. Should not those who follow Christ turn society away from this idol? Economic growth is not necessary for human flourishing.
To read up on this try, e.g. T. Jackson (2009), 'Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet', London: Earthscan.
I wonder whether "affluence, arrogance and unconcern", the reasons for which Judah was taken away (Ezekiel 16:49), are the main causes of the current climate and environmental crisis. Rather than imaging God to the rest of Creation, have we not destroyed it or at least acquiesced in that destruction because of our aspirations for comforts and conveniences of affluent life?
To be frank, I believe that those Christians who deny or seek to downplay our climate and environmental responsibility are dishonouring Christ and working against what God is doing today. It saddens me. See "http://abxn.org/ccge/".
This page, "http://abxn.org/covid19.html" is part of Andrew Basden's abxn.org pages - pages that open up discussion and exploration from a Christian ('xn') perspective. Written on the Amiga with Protext, in the style of classic HTML.
Copyright (c) Andrew Basden at all dates below. But you may use this material subject to certain easy conditions.
Created: 9 April 2020. Last updated: 13 April 2020 responded to some of AS's comments, and MM's. Began splitting responsibility. 15 April 2020 responded to more comments, especially about non-essentials. 16 April 2020 finalising I hope. 18 April 2020 Typos.