A famous historian once said, “No man is happy until the end is known.” With the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, no person knows how this will end.

Some have compared our present situation to the flu outbreak of 1918. Others have compared it to the polio outbreak of 1952, with portions of the population dramatically being affected while the entire country struck by fear.

Like other times throughout history, no one wants this situation. We each want the suffering and spread of the disease to stop.

As Christians, we are presented with a unique moment to show faith amid a backdrop of fear, to point people who fear death toward the One who gives life and life abundant (John 10:10).

How can we do that? First, we can use this moment to dive deeper into God’s Word. I once heard someone say they struggled in math in school. The only thing that got them through was to look at the answers in the back of the book, then try to figure out the problems from there.

God, in His divine mercy, has given us a book—the Good Book—to find answers and solutions. Now’s the time to dig in deeper to that book, the Bible.

Next, we ought to continue to show care for our neighbors as best we can. As many of us continue to be homebound, use that old phrase “reach out and touch someone,” with a simple phone call. Tell them you’re thinking of them, that you care.

We also need to redouble our prayer efforts. President Trump declared a National Day of Prayer on May 15, as did leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. Beyond that day, we each should “pray without ceasing.” Certainly times of national crisis call for more people to pray; and for people who do pray to pray more.

Finally, let’s choose faith over fear, hope over despair. A prayer attributed to a famous Christian says the following, that seems appropriate for such a time as this:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury; pardon;
Where there is doubt; faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen. May God be with you all.