I recently wrote an article for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission on how we can love and serve our unbelieving neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 outbreak is without doubt a culture-defining moment in our present time. Much of our society and our routines have become uprooted. For Christians, we can tangibly see this in how we have changed meeting together with our local church bodies. Much of our interaction with one another has moved online for the time being.
These things are no less true for our unbelieving neighbors. The same inconveniences that are affecting us are affecting them too, whether that’s having children at home unexpectedly, losing a job or being put on leave, not being able to interact with friends and family, going to the grocery store and being unable to find basic items, etc.
With the unique challenges of the coronavirus come unique opportunities for Christians to engage with their unbelieving neighbors.
First, Christians have the unique opportunity “to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15).
In light of any tragedy, when people’s felt needs are greatest, the world around us looks for answers to those gnawing questions that they might otherwise ignore. This may come in the form of questions such as, “Why would God allow this to happen?” (Here is one article on the “problem of evil” question). However, the questions could even be much simpler and open-ended, like, “What should I do? What should I think about this?”
Read the rest here at the ERLC: