Corvid-19: Needs lead to questions, how practically can we answer?
Corvid - 19 has made us realise how much more
The need for material / physical. Peoples need for existence - food, jobs, security, money, technological resources to educate their children, the need for confidence in the future and the need to overcome poverty. Most often while the plight of the less fortunate has been highlighted, it has never more been brought to light as much as it has with Corvid - 19. Prior to Corvid-19, amidst their situation they would make ends meet by finding opportunities.
However, the many restrictions of Corvid -19 the behavioral changes, and peoples attitudes and mind sets only raises the question, who will meet our needs? This question is also relevant to a new category of people who have been made less fortunate during this period of Corvid - 19 - small businesses, the self employed, the migrant workers (local and foreign), farmers, etc., as they are surrounded in an uncertain future.
The need for spiritual. Peoples need for God and Him to act, and so the questions, where is God? why are good people suffering? why are innocent people dying? why has God handed over the world to the devil? is the future guaranteed? is God punishing the world? The need for answers, to understand God better, to be filled with the truth has not been so prevalent during Corvid-19 even though these questions were relevant pre-corvid - 19.
Most often their is connectivity between the two. The need for the spiritual arises when the need for the material / physical is not met. When needs are not met, many questions arise. This brings us - the church, to answer these questions.
1) What has become of all our teachings and preaching?
God is with the widows and the orphans, God heals, Jesus touched the leaper, God will provide, the sermon on the mount, the God of justice, sin, just to name a few.
2) What has become of all our social actions in times of disaster?
The tsunami, the war, earth slips and flood reliefs just to name a few.
Have they not helped people to discern, understand, trust and put their faith in God? Isn't that what preaching and teaching has meant to do? Or have our words lacked conviction?
How much more do we respond?
Is it time for us to un-learn and re-learn scripture so that our own experience of living through the first few months of Corvid - 19 will help us understand scripture and peoples needs and respond in a relevant way, a way where they will see word and action relate? If Jesus didn't change or do away with the Old Testament but made it relevant to his times, which was radical and challenging to those who were conservative and literal in their understanding of scripture, how much more should we be doing the same?
If we use the image of the early church to argue liturgy in this period of pandemic, how much more should the image of the early church be used to devote time to learn scripture and seek answers and meet the material / physical needs of the people? Without these two liturgy can be ritual and not response of God's people.
Meeting needs is not distributing money (unless in extreme situations). Meeting needs can be in the form of facilitation, advocacy, networking, guidance, advice, proper direction etc., and sometimes it can be only a "patient listening ear".
Where are we? Are we satisfied with what we have done? Are we doing enough?
Are we missing a trick?
To me the need for the material and the spiritual go hand in hand. They raise questions on their own, but they find answers from each other.
In the beatitudes, Jesus identifies the people with needs and pronounces a blessing upon them. Can we do the same?
And so we can reflect and we must. Reflection must lead to a response - response that is local, that will be relevant to where we dwell. But how much more can we respond? Creatively? Practically? Radically? to keep the flames of hope burning in the present and the uncertain future.
(The purpose of this little write-up is to hear during the process of completing a task that has commenced)
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