These are weird times we’re living in. The kids are out of school, more businesses and places for public gatherings are being shut down every day, people are hoarding toilet paper, and the store shelves have been left empty! Maybe you think it’s all being blown way out of proportion. Maybe you think it’s really serious and the hospitals are about to be overflowing and the death toll is going to be tremendous. Maybe you think the virus isn’t what we need to be worried about and that our focus should be on the economic crash that will be caused by the panic. 

Regardless of how you see the situation, one thing is clear--this is our time to shine as the Body of Christ! When all the systems of the world are failing around us and people are left in a state of uncertainty, there should still be a major source of light and hope in the world: us. Us being the Church, the body of Christ.

To the elderly people in your neighborhood who may be concerned about going to the store, be the Church! To the single mom who doesn’t know what to do with her kids while she’s at work, be the Church! To the family-owned business in your town that is concerned about making ends meet while they are forced to close their doors, be the Church! To the exhausted grocery store employees working hard to keep shelves stocked, be the Church! There is something God has called you to do today and every day: be a source of his peace and love. This situation is no different, even something as simple as creating artwork in your front yard to lift people’s spirits, or sharing a hopeful message on Facebook is a way to tap into the Holy Spirit’s calling for you to transform this world.

Who knows what everything will look like once this situation is behind us. I choose to remain not only hopeful but fired up because of God’s people, all of this will be redeemed into something better than it was.