I haven’t written about the COVID-19 pandemic in a while, but it’s still very much with us, along with a plethora of people trying to figure out what God is up to or telling us what God is up to. Some have said it’s a sign of the end times. Others, that it’s a call to repentance.

An excellent book, hot off the press, decries this approach. It’s N.T. Wright’s God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath. I recommend the book – it’s a short read. One of his arguments is that the question isn’t, “Why is this happening?” it’s, “What do we do now?” He points out that when Agabus predicted a world-wide famine, the Antioch church did not waste time trying to figure out why it was happening. Instead, they decided what they should do:

One of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. (Acts 11.28, 29, ESV)

Then Dr. Wright makes this simple case:

The Lord’s Prayer is our ‘norm’. Are we looking for sudden signs of the End? No: we pray every day, ‘Thy Kingdom Come on earth as in heaven’, and we know that prayer will be answered because of what we know about Jesus. Are we looking for fresh, sudden calls to repent? No: we pray every day, ‘Forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ We know that prayer will be answered, because of what we know about Jesus. Are we then looking for fresh reasons to leave our comfortable lifestyles and tell our neighbours the good news? Well, shame on us if it takes a pandemic to get us to that point. Why wasn’t Jesus’ command enough? ‘As the father sent me, so I’m sending you’; ‘Go and make all nations into disciples’. As Paul knew in Athens, you don’t need extra signs. (Page 52)

Here’s what N.T. Wright was referring to with respect to Paul in Athens. I don’t think I need to add anything else.

Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17.29 – 31, ESV)