Something For Sunday
By Rob Jones
The volume of words written concerning the impact of this pandemic are exhaustive. Everyday writers, journalists and bloggers of all kinds are adding to the ever-increasing summit of cause-and-effect events noticed about the pandemic. Although the aspects through which we can examine the pandemic’s effects are infinite, I want to focus on its impact to the American Christian church.
It has been about 20 months since the Unites States started lock downs, distancing and mask requirements of varying kinds and degrees. With health and safety at the center of everyone’s minds the enacting and adherence to safety protocols seemed like a necessary yet temporary inconvenience as we collectively worked to limit the virus’s most immediate and direct impact, which is the taking of human life. However, there are indirect and more subtle impacts the effort to limit the loss of life is having on society. Although indirect and subtle these impacts are no less substantial than the loss of life itself. In fact, they will reverberate through the future long after we have a permanent handle on the spread and impact of the virus. The effects in question are those associated with human isolation. Human isolation lies at the heart of what ails the church during this pandemic.
Pacific Ocean Worship: https://www.reelurbannews.com/restoration-life-church-has-left-the-building-and-now-is-worshiping-on-the-beach-exclusive-video/
Regular in person meetings have been the mode of operation for the church since its inception. As a result, one could imagine the difficulty churches are experiencing as they have either been mandated not to meet or have voluntarily stopped meetings after deeming the risks to great. Either way it is an immediate stop to a central marker of a healthy church. Many churches have seen drastic reductions in donations and others are worried if their members will ever return even if the gatherings are deemed safe. Some might think that churches can connect digitally and maintain their impact with those associated with their ministry. However, what we see is that the digital platforms are filled with well crafted and well produced video that many churches are not financially or experientially equipped to compete with. It is not uncommon to see churches that averaged hundreds of attendees before the pandemic struggle to average twenty viewers during their live streams of events. Furthermore, the digital experience doesn’t offer the smiles, hugs, friendship and expressed concern that are typical to an in person gathering. Although simple, it is these things that are not only critical to the church’s corporate health, but they are also essential to societal health. It has been documented several times that all the markers of an unhappy society have been drastically on the rise since the start of safety protocols.
So, what is a church to do in this environment? While many churches are finally meeting again new variants of the virus and rising cases are starting to threaten churches with another shut down, what are ministries to do? It is this writer’s opinion that churches must find a way to safely meet in person. It has been documented that the impact is detrimental to human beings that live in isolation. The members of our churches are no exception to this fact. It should come as no surprise that many churches will find members depressed, marriages divorced, and malignant demeanor on the other side of this pandemic because they have not kept personal contact with its members. Additionally, the church must see the ails of isolation throughout society as an opportunity to show the benefits of all that Christ and his church has to offer. Safe in person meetings can be a source of relief for individuals dealing with loneliness or depression and marriages on the brink of divorce. If I am honest there is a reflective nature to my suggestions. Not only must churches find a way to safely meet in person, but individuals must be willing to safely meet in person. In the past 18 or so months we have tried to find ways to avoid the virus and largely that answer was to avoid each other.
The challenge for those churches that will survive the next 18 months will be to provide an atmosphere where people can encounter Christ and reap the benefits of lovingly interacting with His followers. In a recent trip to the beach with my family I noticed a church that had set up a tent with food and snacks. They enjoyed one another’s company as they talked and even played football in the sand. Although one can never surely tell the future I think this church and others like it will be answer the challenge of human connection as the pandemic endures.
