Insights Into The Covid-19 Church Era –Part XXXXVII
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good or anything except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” (Matthew 5:13-15)
During darkened times, revival flourishes. A candle in a well-lit room may not even be noticed. It is lost in the light! That is a good place to be! That’s heaven! Light a candle in a densely darkened room, the same candle looks amazingly bright. John 1:5 states, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.” Darkness cannot comprehend nor overtake light. A light from a star thousands of light years away that has traveled through millions of miles of darkness can still light up our night sky.
The 1960’s & 70’s were dark days in American history. The United States witnessed non-violent civil rights marches that met violence, the assassination of political leaders, rioting and burning off our cities. Woodstock, hippies, and the drug and sex revolutions hit America. While women burned their bras supporting Women’s Liberation, men were burning their draft cards protesting the War in Vietnam. The Beatles, rock music, and heavy metal bands replaced swing bands of a previous generation. School activities, intramural Sunday soccer, music lessons, and competitive traveling leagues replaced church activities. There were mass marches for Civil Rights, Gay Rights, Anti-War, and Pro-Choice and Anti-Abortion positions. President Nixon and his Vice President Agnew reigned in disgrace. America looked unhinged. Yet in this darkness, turmoil, corruption, anxiety, and social and political unrest came the Jesus and Charismatic Movements. The Holy Spirit touched the counter-cultured hippie generation and the institutional church that needed reviving. Amongst such darkness came light.
The very first four verses in the Bible read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light; and there was light. God saw the light was good.” Over a formless, darkened deep surface, the Spirit of God moved and created light. Even in darkness God can create. He’s done it from the beginning. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so he will continue to create and continue to move even in the dark.
The current U.S. President gave a dark, gloomy, inaugural speech. You thought Barry McGuire was still singing “Eve of Destruction” again. Four years later we find ourselves in a world-wide pandemic, our economy severely challenged, political institutions ravaged, and tens of thousands of tweets, lies, Covid-19 deaths, high unemployment and a Bipolar Presidency. As darkness appears, light is fading. The Moral Majority led by Jerry Farewell, Pat Robertson, and others who sought a high standard of morality for all political offices have given way to the next generation, the Jerry Farewell Jr.’s who have fallen and justify the ends over the means. It is getting darker.
As it darkens, the lights that were once lost in the light, the individual, everyday believers in Jesus, are beginning to be seen again. The feeding of religious institutions is slowly giving way to nurturing and equipping the saints for works of service. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our world. Political, educational, and religious institutions are all being challenged. America is trying to figure out how to do “school”, how to do “church”, how to dine out, how to bar hop while social distancing, and how to play “professional sports” without a present fan base.
I sense it will get darker before it get’s brighter. A dark season is ahead of us, but we have a light, Jesus Christ, who will brighten our way. I believe the church will function effectively “small” before it functions “large” again. We are in a new church era, the Covid-19 Church Era; I call it. The body is made up of cells. Cells bring life. Cells that bond together create functioning organs. Healthy organs support a body. So is the body of Christ, the Church. Let your light shine!