Covid-19: 4 Amazing Ways God Has Worked in This Season

The past two months have been a trying times for the world, with the global outbreak of Covid-19. It is no different in Singapore, where many of us are affected one way or another. For the ordinary people, it is a time where Covid-19 seems to strike terror and uncertainty in their hearts. For the churches, it became a real issue when two churches, namely The Life Church and Mission Singapore and Grace Assembly of God, became clusters of local outbreak. People began asking themselves whether they should go and gather in the church on the normal weekend.

Nevertheless, in the midst of difficult times, one asks himself how is God working in our midst. After all, if God is the sovereign God, then what is he doing? Why has He not protected the church? Why are Christians not spared from Covid-19?

As I took time to read through the responses of the churches to Covid-19, I think asking God to protect us from Covid-19 is the wrong starting point. If God really makes all things good for those who loved him (Rom 8:28), then Christians must definitely see God’s purpose in all these despite Christians getting Covid-19 and even dying from the disease. Here, I offer 4 reflections on how God has worked in this Covid-19 outbreak.

Covid-19 forced the church to rethink what it means to be God’s people

As part of the leadership in my church’s satellite center, the outbreak presented us a challenge – that people stopped coming to church in fear that they will come into contact with the rest of the world and get infected with the disease. That is indeed a legitimate concern. After all, as a parent with a young toddler and a pregnant wife, I would have been concerned that the two girls in my family catch the bug from someone in church. And indeed some churches actually suspended services.

And in address to these concerns, my church decided that it is better to cancel all events with 50 or more participants, other than the weekly worship services. Precautionary measures were put in place for the weekly services. For cancelled events such as prayer meet and Bible seminar, my church decided to do livestream so that people can still gather virtually in smaller settings.

That is when I realised that God was doing something special in all these. When I gathered my group to watch the prayer meet and Bible seminar on livestream, we find that people were more engaged and attentive – and they did not fall asleep. For the prayer meet, we were able to pray for one another without the distraction from the stage. For Bible seminar, we were able to capture the points and yet have time during the breaks and post-seminar to discuss our learnings from the livestream.

The crux is clear from this – Covid-19 forced us to rethink what it means to be a church. The church is not a building, nor an event. After all, Christ did not die for the building or event but all the individuals in the church who eventually became fellow citizens and members of God’s household (Eph 2:11-16). Even if we do not have huge event, we are still a church, the people of God, who must gather in some form or another so that we may continue to spur and encourage one another.

Covid-19 rallied Christians together to be the salt and light in this world

As the church is forced to rethink what it means to gather as God’s people, I found that it became a chance also for us to rally together as God’s testimony in this world. This is a time where the church can bring light to darkness. And this was precisely what happened.

For example, the group that I am leading is able to go around the neighbourhood that we are doing pioneering work in to give out pamphlets on how to educate kids on Covid-19 and also giving out fruits to residents. Other groups have gone out to give out hand sanitisers and other stuff, blessing their respective neighbourhood.

And in fact, I read that there are churches that go all the way out to reach out to the frontline staff who were at the forefront treating Covid-19 patients.

This reminds me of past events where people from other parts of the world encounter unfortunate disasters, such as the 2011 tsunami that happened to Japan. From my trips to the affected areas, I learned that it was the churches that rose and reached out to the affected people, ahead of even government and local response.

And it is in times like this that God can use the church to be the blessing to the world, even though we may all be similarly affected.

Covid-19 tested the disciples to overcome fear and move in faith

When trials and testings happen to Christians, these are the times when God uses to mature our faith as disciples. This is really a moment for the church to disciple its disciples, for them to move out of fear and to move in faith and for them to believe really in God’s work during this period.

This is important, as how we respond to the current crisis will reflect how we will respond during tougher times, such as end times persecution. If today we respond in fear and forget our Christian identity because of an outbreak that seemed milder than SARS, then what will happen to us if we really encounter real persecution?

This is why I was so encouraged when I read the responses of Grace AOG when it became one of the outbreak clusters. This became an opportunity for the church as more people gathered to pray for the church than ever before. It is almost as if a revival happened in the midst of the church.

Covid-19 helped the church to see God’s victory in trials

It is easy for the church to feel defeated when its pastor is affected by the virus. This was exactly what happened when we read that the senior pastor of Grace AOG was hospitalised because he became a patient of Covid-19.

As we reaches out to bless our communities and gather in different ways during this period, we see how God has enabled us to be victorious in our trials. This is no surprise, given that Christ has already gain victory over sin on the cross and over death in his resurrection. In him, we already have victory over the things that bonded us. From there, we can definitely see his victory as we remain faithful to our calling in Him.

So indeed, it has been tough for the church. But seeing beyond the tough times, do we see the amazing works that God is doing in our midst? As C.S Lewis would have said, pain is God’s megaphone. Perhaps this is the time when God really draws attention to what He can really do through the church if we are faithful to His calling as God’s people.

Update: As at 1 Apr 2020, this article was also posted on thir.st website.