Thoughts on the Pandemic
Good morning members and friends of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ and all humanity,
We are navigating our way through uncharted waters as we face circumstances that are unprecedented in our lifetime. Our world has been forever changed by the Covid-19 virus. For quite possibly the first time we are beginning to see and really understand that we are truly citizens of world, members of one global family. We often talk about how all people are created as children of God, therefore all people around the world are our “sisters and brothers.”
In chaos theory there is something called the Butterfly Effect. Simply put, it postulates that a tornado in Kansas can be influenced by a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil. In other words, a small action in one part of the world can have effects on the entire planet, ie., a person getting sick in China can have such ramifications as to cause the economy of America to decrease by over 30%!
This worldwide pandemic has taught us, or at least it should be teaching us, that as a species we can no longer ignore the problems and needs of people anywhere. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul says:
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. Romans 12:3-5
God created humanity to continually work together in concert for the betterment of nature and the glory of God. Only when each person is seen as a child of God, a sister or brother, with gifts to be celebrated, nurtured, and shared, can we hope to truly bring an end to this pandemic and all the ills afflicting our world. I pray that if anything good is to come of this virus it is that we truly understand the interrelatedness of all people, that no nation is better than any other in the eyes of God, and that there are enough resources in the world to fulfill the needs of all humanity and all creation.
May God continue to bless humanity, and may humanity strive to be a blessing to God.
Be Safe. Be Kind.
Pastor Mark