Pray

I grew up in Northern Ireland. At the time that country was going through a civil war. Or more to the point, a very civil war. What do I mean by ‘very’ civil? Surely a civil war is a civil war because it kills civilians? Well let me explain myself.

A VERY CIVIL

In the entire 30 or so years of the last round of violence in Northern Ireland, a mere 3,000 people were killed, with several thousand more maimed or injured.

That sounds bad, and it was. But some perspective: it wasn’t a civil war like that in Liberia from 1989 to 1997, where a quarter of a million were killed; it wasn’t a civil war like that in Sri Lanka in which 150,000 people were killed. It wasn’t even like the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, which resulted in 140,000 slaughtered, and through which places such as Sarajevo and Srebrenica became bywords for horror.

No, Belfast and the towns and cities in the north of Ireland conducted a very civil war. By that use of the word ‘civil’ I am being a bit cheeky. All things considered, given the sheer horror in those other places, it wasn’t all that bad. Not bad enough for major, drastic intervention that would upset the complete fabric of society and ensure that whatever grew up to replace it was palpably different.

The Northern Irish conflict was civil enough to keep people in a constant state of unease without the dam wall ever breaking. Civil enough to kill people and foster insecurity and pain without demands for immediate change being heeded. Civil enough to expose people’s true natures, highlight community divisions and keep everyone guessing which way things might go, without every falling into fullscale apocalypse. Civil enough to mean that we went to divided schools – Catholic and Protestant – but still studied economics. Civil enough to ensure that some towns were full of Union Jack flags, while others were full of Irish flags of green, white and gold, but allowed us to shop in the same grocery stores.

Civil enough, in other words, to be exhausting in the daily grind without any pressing solution. And over time it changed people in Northern Ireland more than they would realise. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a real thing in that country, and not just among those directly affected by the terrorism and responses to it.

What have we stored up for this mini apocalypse?

The coronavirus is in Australia at the moment. We do not know where it will head, but from where I sit at the moment it is a very civil virus. Not a full-blown pandemic – yet. Not a zombie apocalypse – yet. Not like that Netflix series that we’re refusing to watch at the moment because it’s too discomfiting. You know the one: with freeways jammed with empty, burnt out cars and supermarkets full of rotting fruit. Not Liberia, Sri Lanka or Sarajevo. That’s completely uncivil! And that’s too much to take in right now.

The term ‘apocalypse’ simply means to reveal, and what we are getting in our mini apocalypse is a mini reveal. What we have – indeed probably the only thing we can cope with right now – is a very civil virus revealing what we are like in ‘fun-size’. One that bites us, but not too deeply. One that challenges us, but not too much. One that exposes us, but only a little bit. A bit like Northern Ireland’s very civil war.

Here’s why a very civil virus is all we can handle: because you can only take out of the bank what you have put in. In other words, we haven’t stored up the right things prior to this event. And we’ve got no supplies to draw on should this go beyond civil.

And I don’t mean toilet paper. We haven’t stored up enough of the communal, societal and spiritual vital supplies that will help us deal well with anything other than what we are experiencing at the moment. Sure, we might get out the other side of this after the Southern Hemisphere winter and things will go back to normal.

Or maybe not. People have been writing and speaking about the loss of communal and societal strength for years, warning us that the cracks are getting wider and deeper. And we’ve simply gone, ‘Meh, it’ll be alright.’

You can store up as much of those three-ply bad boys as you want, but the fact is the current very civil virus threat has exposed too much of our panicky selves. There doesn’t seem to be much other person-centredness in our responses. We are focused on us and ours. It’s fisticuffs at five paces, it’s panic buying, it’s onselling at exorbitant (exSorbitent?) prices, it’s empty shelf after empty shelf.

In the movie About a Boy, the rich playboy played by Hugh Grant disputes the famous John Donne statement that “No man is an island”. He has enough influence, money and status to retort, “I am an island, I am Ibiza.” He is the famous pleasure island (Northern Hemisphere equivalent of Bali), which needs no others, which sees those around him as there to serve his interests, and which is hermetically sealed off from the misfortunes, or indeed the concerns about the misfortunes of others.

We also haven’t stored up much resilience. In a decade in which everyone has the capacity to be a victim, or be triggered, or be at risk of killing themselves on the basis of someone disagreeing with their lifestyle choices, we have few stores of resilience.

Add to this the constant media cycle of alarm, whether that’s over the climate (newspapers were instructing their journalists to call it a ‘climate emergency’), or over the political views of those we disagree with, the sexual views of those we disagree with, the Twitter responses we disagree with, or whatever else we disagree with, we have weakened our ability to stand firm on something we believe in without being shattered.

The 24-hour news cycle – whether mainstream or online – is designed to keep us

in a constant state of unease, a constant state of hypervigilance, much like living in Northern Ireland did during its very civil war. It would be ill-served (for itself) if it gave us clarity and firm, but calm facts.

Where do we go for help?

But don’t look to politics to help us. Even if the Prime Minister were to stand in front of a bank of microphones and tell us that the government has things in hand, we wouldn’t believe him or her. After all, why would we believe them? They said that last time about the ‘fill in the blank’, and that turned out not to be true either.

And all of this grinds us down. It chips away at us in innumerable small ways. It shows up in road rage, in sports rage, in online rage, in family rage. In rage against politics where no sooner has one election been won than those who lost have declared it invalid, and that no mandate has been created.

VIRUS

Perhaps this very civil virus (so far) is an opportunity to take stock beyond toilet rolls, pasta and rice, and think what it is revealing about us. About where we are headed.

And where do we put it all? Where is the community that can make sense of it? Where is the group that we meet with on a regular basis that cares for us at a deep level, that sees our weaknesses, our failings, and still picks us up and still makes us meals when we are sick?

I run regularly in a group, including with a friend from the Republic of Ireland (makes for interesting conversations given the very civil events in our home country!). She and her family moved here some years ago. But she told me that she feels envious of the church community I belong to. She said that it feels like it is a ready-made place for friendship that she has not experienced, and that if she had belonged to one when she moved to Australia, she would have settled in more quickly.

And, of course, church is not the only community that can do this, but it is the only community that was birthed by a leader who said this:

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” [Matthew 6: 31-34]

Not to say we don’t need these things and that days don’t have trouble, but that in the midst of this trouble, there is a heavenly Father who cares for us. And who calls us to care for others because He has first cared for us!

Perhaps this very civil virus (so far) is an opportunity to take stock beyond toilet rolls, pasta and rice, and think what it is revealing about us. About where we are headed. About where we are all headed together one day. For let me finish with what John Donne went on to say, which is generally the part we don’t know:

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

Author – Stephen McAlpine

Steve McAlpine is on the leadership team of Providence Church in WA and is working for a new national venture Third Space, helping churches and organisations find space for people to have conversations about Jesus. He is married to Jill and together they have two children, Sophie and Declan.

This article was published on thirdspace.org.au on 12 March 2020 and is republished with kind permission.

Responding to New York’s crisis

In March, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) sent crisis-trained chaplains to New York City to serve in conjunction with the Samaritan’s Purse emergency field hospital set up to treat COVID-19 patients.

Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan’s Purse, and his son Will Graham, BGEA Vice President, prayed with the chaplains before they departed for New York.

“People are dying from the coronavirus, hospitals are out of beds, and the medical staff are overwhelmed,” Franklin said in a BGEA media release.

“I’m thankful for all the companies and individuals across this country that are pulling together and doing their part in this battle.”

“[Currently], more than 345,000 cases have been reported in New York City, with over more than 27,000 deaths attributed to the virus.”

RRT International Director, Jack Munday said their nation had had the most confirmed cases of COVID-19.

“The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has crisis-trained chaplains ready to deploy to New York City – the epicentre of the outbreak – to offer emotional and spiritual care and to share the hope found in Jesus Christ to doctors, nurses and the community at large,” he said.

Will was also with the response teams in Nashville, Tennessee, following devastating tornadoes in the state.

“Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains run toward disasters to offer compassion and comfort to the hurting,” he said.

“We’re thankful for the chaplains who are voluntarily putting themselves into a very difficult situation – at a very tumultuous time – to minister to those who have been devastated by this terrible virus.”

The emergency field hospital, 68-bed respiratory care unit, comprised of 14 tents, opened on 1 April and was designed especially for the coronavirus response. Through its partnership with the Mount Sinai Health System, more than 300 coronavirus patients were treated in the hospital.

On 4 May, the surge in COVID-19 hospital admissions finally reached manageable levels and the decision was made to disinfect and pack up the tents.

Volunteers setting up the emergency field hospital in New York’s Central Park.

“I’m very grateful to the Mount Sinai Health System for adopting us and asking us to come,” Franklin said.

“It was their invitation that brought us here – they’ve been an incredible partner.”

“We’re thankful for this opportunity to work in New York and for the people of New York, and to do it in the name of Jesus.”

In an interview with Samaritan’s Purse, Brendan, a nurse, said that they were all praying for one night when things would go smoothly, when patients don’t code.

“There’s a moment every night as we’re coming in and passing our colleagues who are coming out. And we see the weariness on their faces. And the weight of all of it hits you — how many people have gotten sick, how many have died. But that’s just a minute. Then you take a deep breath and you pray, and you walk into the ward and you see these patients that need you and you get to work,” he said.

Queen pays tribute

On 5 April, Queen Elizabeth II addressed the British nation on the coronavirus crisis – just the fifth time in her reign outside of her annual Christmas greeting.

In her message, she acknowledged that it was “a time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.”

“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again,” she concluded.

BWA announces response plan

In response to the global pandemic, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) launched Standing Together: A Global Response Plan.

“A global pandemic requires a global response,” BWA General Secretary, Elijah Brown said.

“The vision for Baptist World Aid originated 100 years ago in the wake of the Spanish plague and the aftermath of World War I, and as we mark this centennial milestone in 2020, the need for Baptists around the world to mobilise and respond is as great as ever.”

International Briefs

As part of the global response plan, BWA has already reached out to all 240 Baptist conventions and unions to offer emergency grants in response to immediate needs arising from COVID-19, with $250,000 USD for this initial effort and additional funds being raised.

Indian Baptists minister in lockdown

Following the Indian Government’s relaxing of lockdown laws, millions of poor immigrant workers are attempting to find their way home.

AK Lama, a Baptist leader in Northeast India said: “They were hungry and thirsty with no money to buy, and no transportation. Some walked hundreds of miles only to collapse on the road.”

“I am glad to inform you that many Baptist churches grabbed such an opportunity to come out in public to help the poor and the needy. The last three days have been days of good works.”

The content of this article was current at the time of production.

Canon acknowledges anxious times

In May, a United Kingdom Office for National Statistics survey revealed that more than four in five adults were worried about the effect coronavirus was having on their lives, and nearly half of those surveyed reported high levels of anxiety.

In reflecting on this data, evangelist Canon J John said it was not unreasonable to be anxious at the moment.

“After all, we face an invisible, persistent and lethal enemy about which even the experts seem to know little,” he commented, in his reflection on his website.

“I do get anxious for myself and my loved ones, but I try to make sure anxiety is a visitor not a resident in my mind.”

“My response is based on my faith in a God to whom I have access through Jesus.”

“In fact, it’s Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount that help me most. There, Jesus says, ‘What is the price of two sparrows – one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it … So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.’”

“God is telling me that He is in control of even the smallest things and that includes viruses.”

“So, in this present pandemic, God does not sit in the heavens frowning in frustration that someone, somewhere ate a badly cooked bat (if that is indeed what happened). He knew about it and, for his own reasons, allowed it.”

“I know that leaves all sorts of issues open.”

“Given the number of Christians in the caring profession I don’t doubt that this dreadful epidemic has taken many of them directly into the comfort of His presence.”

“Yet it says that ultimately anxiety is unnecessary. God our Lord is in control and God our Father cares for us. And that is what I believe and trust.”

Canon J John reflects on the anxiety affecting many adults.

What started as a way of connecting with family and friends, quickly turned into what Mr and Mrs Walker, of Leicester in the UK, jokingly call ‘Instagram famous’, when a university student mentioned the couple in a widely shared Twitter post.

“This old man I know always posts instas of his wife and they are so sweet bless him,” the university student said.

And within a few days, Mr Walker’s followers grew from 100 to 18,000, increasing to 80,000 at the start of this year.

“Pauline then had her purse stolen whilst shopping in town early this year. I posted an appeal for Pauline’s purse to be returned … This went viral and has never stopped,” Mr Walker explained.

Today, over 365,000 people follow Mr Walker on Instagram to partake in the everyday activities of the husband and wife of 68 years – from preparing bread and butter pudding to videos of their lovingly kept garden. The hashtag #ilovethatgirl features in every post about Mrs Walker and each video concludes with a caring “love to everyone” by Mr Walker.

Elderly couple inspire thousands

When Geoffrey Walker, 89, decided to join Instagram to share everyday videos of his wife Pauline, 86, with family and friends, he didn’t anticipate that he would soon become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of followers on the social media platform.

Before the lockdown in the UK, Mr Walker regularly shared videos of their walk to church on Sundays or of a hymn sung with the local organist. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, Mr Walker decided to step a little further out of his comfort zone.

“With the [introduction] of the lockdown on churches, I decided to post a [Christian] message each Sunday morning,” he said.

“I was a little hesitant at the response I might receive. I thought I may well get a dozen or so [likes] but to get hundreds … I was amazed.”

His reading from 1 Corinthians 13, a message of love that Mr Walker saw fit for a time of crisis, was watched by over 50,000 people.

One user commented, “Oh these words went right from your heart into mine. Thank you for sharing. Love to you and everyone ... the world and our hearts need it more than ever.”

Pondering their Christian journey, Mr Walker said they describe themselves as simple Christians.

“[We live] our lives by example and love for others as Jesus commanded. ... Pauline was baptised at a local Baptist church about 20 years ago although she had always been a Christian.”

What Mr Walker offers his followers on Instagram is nothing more, and nothing less, than a glimpse into the life of a Christian couple, exemplifying the values of a lasting marriage and finding joy in the simple things. Each video paints a picture of Mr Walker’s love for his wife, his loving care for the people watching the video and the true origin behind all this: the love of God who first loved us. Love to everyone.

Author – Ramona Humphreys

Geoffrey and Pauline Walker celebrating Victory in Europe Day in isolation in Leicester, UK, this year.

To find your local Baptist church visit baptistwa.asn.au

Christian meditation app boom

Meditation and prayer apps have experienced a spike in downloads during COVID-19 as people around the world seek new ways to rest amidst the chaos.

Christian meditation apps are a relatively new addition to the numerous mediation and mindfulness apps that have emerged as a trend on app stores in recent years.

Apps like Abide, YouVersion Rest, One Minute Pause and Soultime aim to help users rest more, stress less and sleep better. The apps feature prayers and Bible readings accompanied by nature sounds and imagery.

Several of these apps have seen a rise in searches for meditations and prayers targeting anxiety and worry since the start of the pandemic.

According to Soultime, British comedian Miranda Hart endorsed the meditation app as a helpful addition to her quiet time, especially during a pandemic. “There’s always a time to listen to our soul, and ever more now,” Ms Hart said.

Clearing away the bushes

Jordan Thyer originally worked as a chemical engineer before moving to the UK to study at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA). Jordan is now an itinerant speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) in the Asia-Pacific region, seeking to communicate how knowing Jesus gives life a unique hope, purpose and meaning that is both intellectually and existentially satisfying. Vanessa Klomp recently had the opportunity to catch up with Jordan.

How did you become a Christian and develop a faith in Christ?

I don’t recall ever genuinely doubting the existence of God as it seemed like a self-evident truth to me from a young age. I saw genuine Christian faith displayed in my parents’ lives, especially in their generosity and the way they spoke to and treated others with hospitality and kindness.

However, there were a number of experiences in my childhood that convinced me I needed to be right with this God myself. I was quite an energetic kid and often finished my schoolwork quickly, which led to boredom and acting out; I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I hold the record for the most paddles for a Year 3 at my primary school! The school would send you home with a note (pre-email) to tell your parents you’d been disciplined by the principal. I feared the punishment I’d receive from my parents more than the school, so I hid these notes in a cupboard under the verandah outside. Not a bad plan until my mum found a stack of these notes.

Experiences like these as I grew up helped me realise that I needed forgiveness from God for the way I’d treated others and the impact that had on them. So, I recall trusting in Jesus from a young age although my understanding of the gospel and its implications still had more to be worked out.

When I went to university I was one of a handful of Christians I knew of in my chemical engineering course, which made me examine my worldview further and ask some serious questions – most importantly of all, is Christianity true? I had a good experience of Christianity from my parents’ genuine faith and kindness. But I was willing to move away from it if it wasn’t true. As I investigated the claims of Christ for myself, more and more I became persuaded that the Christian faith was both good and true. Since my first year of uni, I’ve never looked back. I’m absolutely convinced that following Jesus is the best way to live and the only way to die. preaching training with Vaughan Roberts at St Ebbe’s Church, Oxford. There was quite amazing ‘fruit’ with a number of friends from the triathlon club coming to Christ for the first time or recommitting their lives. It seems some of the RZIM team and Vaughan noticed this and both encouraged me to consider my calling as an evangelist! I wasn’t so sure about leaving engineering, but I knew I wanted to help people find hope, meaning and purpose in their lives.

After the OCCA program concluded I did an internship with RZIM in Hong Kong for a few months in 2013, helping businesspeople train in apologetics. Returning to Perth I was convinced I wanted dig deeper in preparing for ministry, so I did a Masters in Divinity while working as a youth minister for a church in the Perth Hills.

In 2016, I was invited on to the RZIM team as an OCCA Fellow, receiving further coaching from RZIM senior speakers and speaking for RZIM at a number of camps, churches, schools and universities. Since 2018, I have been an itinerant speaker for RZIM Asia-Pacific, hoping to carry out our mission to ‘help the thinker believe and the believer think’.

As a speaker, you must have many opportunities to share your faith. Do you have a stand-out memory?

The first was when I was speaking for a Christian education class at a high school for a group of Year 11 students. The teacher warned me that most of the students were quite hostile and disinterested so to be prepared for some pushback. I started by introducing myself and then pointing out that “if you’re here today and think Christianity is boring, irrelevant and a waste of time, then I just want you to know that the Bible says people are by nature ‘hostile to God’, so all you’re doing is proving the Bible right.” One student shot his hand up and replied, “yeah, but what if we listen?” I replied, “fortunately in John 1 it says that although many reject Jesus, God does give people right to become children of God if they receive Jesus for themselves.” What followed was a lively discussion on the Christian faith and how Jesus gives an accurate diagnosis of our human condition alongside the opportunity for forgiveness and restoration of our world.

The second was speaking at The University of Queensland to a student group on the topic ‘Has science buried God?’ and receiving a surprise message afterwards from a non-Christian astrophysics professor who wandered into the lecture theatre for my talk and wanted to catch up. I was a little nervous, trying to remember what I’d said that might have gotten me into trouble (my primary school experience would still appear to live with me), but agreed to meet up for a coffee. What followed was a wonderful conversation for over an hour on how much this professor appreciated the talk, agreed with its main idea and wanted to address her own personal questions about Christianity.

Prior to COVID-19, what did evangelism look like?

Evangelism is primarily about communicating the gospel, so it can take place in one-to-one conversation or large-scale stadium outreach, as long as we’re talking about Jesus as Saviour and Lord. For myself, I did a lot of speaking to schools, university student groups, camps (church, youth and Scripture Union), churches, youth groups and businesses.

As soon as you start to communicate the gospel to people, they’ll have questions! And so, the goal of apologetics isn’t to argue people into the Kingdom of God, but to gently and respectfully persuade them that the hope you have in Christ is both good and true. As Ravi Zacharias said, “it is to clear away the bushes so people can get an unobstructed view of Christ.” The mandate for apologetics comes from both scriptural examples of Paul and Peter doing this in Acts and also imperatives, like that in 1 Peter 3:15.

How has COVID-19 affected the way you conduct your ministry? What is the biggest challenge?

The biggest change is that I can’t speak to larger groups in person so camps, university talks, church engagements have all been cancelled. Fortunately, we have the technology to take many of these events online, so I’ve been doing lots of ‘speaking

RZIM itinerant speaker, Jordan Thyer (right) with Ravi Zacharias at the Hillsong Apologetics Symposium in Sydney, September 2018.

to camera’ from my study at home and enjoying less time on the road and away from family. The biggest challenge for me professionally has been not being able to gauge people’s reactions and adjust the talks’ delivery, based on how the message is being received. It has also been hard not being able to hear from people afterwards on how God spoke to them or follow-up their questions with face-to-face conversations.

... more and more I became persuaded that the Christian faith was both good and true.

With the current restrictions, how do you reach out to people to enable you to communicate on ‘deeper’ levels?

I find myself writing more and more personal emails, text messages and making a number of phone calls. As good as these technologies are, the reality is that face-to-face is still the best way to care for one another as relational beings. As the restrictions lift it has been great to catch up with people in smaller groups and pray together for various things as God’s people. Hospitality is still able to be done, and so it is still an essential means of caring for others and making opportunities to share God’s grace and kindness.

What have you seen in the COVID-19 situation that gives you hope and what have you learnt?

I am greatly encouraged that so many Australians have taken care to minimise the spread of the virus and love their neighbours in that way. Opinions vary on the best strategies for handling this pandemic but I’m glad people have affirmed the value of all human life and demonstrated a care for those who are vulnerable. Economically, this will take a very long time to recover from as a nation so I’m hoping we can make wise steps going forward for the welfare of all our citizens.

How have you grown spiritually and what is the biggest challenge in your Christian walk?

I have been taught the lesson again and again that our lack of prayer isn’t due to not enough time or opportunity, but our lack of discipline and proclivity to distraction. It has reinforced the truth to me that the best way to pray more is to plan to pray and follow a prayer journal. The biggest area for growth personally has been being reminded that although we must care for our world as best we can, our hope must be in the return of Christ and the promises of God in His Word.

In the Middle Ages, people thought the Black Death (the Plague) was spread from bad air in places like swamps and mists, and similar things. And so, they avoided all places that had a reputation for being this sort of location.

While they did not avoid going to churches, this is because they did not think it possible for the contagion to be spread in a church (which were usually built on high points in the land, not known for ‘ill humours’ and ‘miasmas’). Sometimes governments would close off villages or areas where there was an outbreak of plague in an effort to contain it, but as soon as it appeared anywhere, citizens often fled as quickly as they could, which only spread the disease further and faster, as they were unaware they were already infected.

People in the Middle Ages well and truly understood that you could catch the plague from being in contact with someone who had the symptoms. In fact, they considered that being in the presence of someone who had the plague was actually certain death, as transmission rates were so high. Yet many Christians considered it their duty to care for and serve those with the plague, particularly as there weren’t large and organised medical and caring industries. Doctors were few and far between, there weren’t nurses or hospitals, and any care facilities were run as religious institutions by monks or nuns. These Christians took whatever precautions they could, and all sorts of folk remedies to try and ward off infection, but they were willing to die in the service of others. At the same time, they isolated themselves when they undertook this work so that they wouldn’t pass on the disease to other people.

Christian response to plagues

There have been a number of comparisons that I have seen over the past couple of weeks about the response of churches during the plagues of the Middles Ages and churches today. It is true that there are some major differences, but there are also some very different contexts that I think is helpful to understand.

Today, we are having much the same response, just updated in terms of our understanding of viruses and modern institutions.

We have a better understanding of how diseases are transmitted, how you can be infectious before showing any symptoms, and so our isolation practices aren’t confined to areas with ‘bad air’, but can include every public place, including churches. We avoid those areas we know where the virus can be transmitted, just as they did in the Middle Ages, one of which is church buildings. In addition to this, we are also now more aware that an appropriate way to care for some people in a situation involving an infectious disease is to keep an appropriate distance, and not gather together.

At the moment, I am aware that many Christians as individuals, and churches as collective groups, are helping their neighbours who are worried and self-isolating, and contacting and caring for those who are anxious. In Australia, this is all before there are many people who are getting sick, and I would expect to see that churches are at the forefront of the response to serving the sick and isolated.

While we now have caring professions (doctors, nurses, aged care workers and others) in a way they did not have in the Middle Ages, there is still a large amount of community care in which we are going to see Christian involvement in the not too distant future. While this service is not the death sentence it was assumed to be in the Middle Ages, it is something that is not without risk, and I expect

Cranbrook-Frankland River Baptist Church Pastor, Jeff Jackson reflects on historical and modern Christian responses to plagues.

to see many Christians helping as their way of imitating Jesus, just as our Christian brothers and sisters have done through the centuries.

While there are differences, they are not as great as we might sometimes imagine. People who follow Jesus don’t change much over the ages, although our context does, making the differences sometimes seem greater than they actually are. Jesus is still our Lord and Saviour, we have the same Spirit who guides us, and we are instructed by the same Scriptures.

May one flee a deadly plague?

The Reformers had firsthand experience with the Plague, which struck with great fear. In the mid-14th century it devastated Europe, killing tens of millions of people in only five years. And every decade or so afterwards it would return bringing fear and death.

Ulrich Zwingli almost died of it in 1519 in Zurich. Andreas von Karlstadt did die of it in Basel in 1541. And Martin Luther, too, experienced it in 1527, ironically, at the time he questioned in a letter, “Whether one may flee from a deadly plague?”

Luther’s letter is filled with biblical reflection, encouragement and practical advice. Writing in the 16th century, he believed that plagues may be punishments sent by God because of sins, but also suspected that they were caused by the devil who “pollutes the air” with his “pestilential breath”.

Still, his letter shows an awareness of contagion, of the need for ‘social distancing’ where possible and a healthy respect for medical care.

May one flee from a deadly plague? Luther’s answer was a qualified yes. One may flee, so long as they have no obligations toward others. Preservation of one’s life is a natural impulse but also pleases God. One avoids places where one is not needed in order to avoid infection, and so infecting others.

“We should avoid destruction and disaster whenever we can, as long as we do so without detracting from our love and duty toward our neighbour,” he wrote.

Luther insisted that we have obligations to one another, and unless our neighbour is adequately cared for, we dare not abandon them. This especially applied to ministers and to civic officials.

And this is where our unity and continuity lie across the ages – in Jesus – and He does not change!

Author – Jeff Jackson

“No-one should dare leave a neighbour unless there are others who will take care of the sick in their stead and nurse them … We are obliged to assist and help them, as we ourselves would like to be helped.” he stated.

A Christian serves their neighbour, even risking their lives for them, as Christ laid down his life for us [1 John 3:16-18]. And they are to do it entrusting themselves to God. In fact, whether one stays or goes, they are to do it in faith, entrusting themselves to God.

Luther thus speaks of faith and love, of responsibility and conscience, of God’s promises and providence. But most of all, of love.

“Love compels us.If you wish to serve Christ and to wait on him, very well, you have your sick neighbour close at hand. Go to them and serve them, and you will surely find Christ in them,” he wrote.

Luther practised what he preached, staying in Wittenberg to offer spiritual and pastoral care to the sick and dying. Only recently married at the time of writing, Luther and Katie brought plague victims into their own home to care for them – while Katie was pregnant with their second child.

Their firstborn, Hans, contracted the plague but survived. The baby, Elizabeth, was born sickly and died when only eight months old. Martin and Katie Luther practised a practical but costly love, with faith and hope in God.

Gettys release new hymn

On 20 March, Christian songwriters, Keith and Kristyn Getty, released a new hymn Christ Our Hope in Life and Death.

The hymn was written in collaboration with Christian songwriters Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker and Matt Papa.

The Gettys described the work as a modern hymn that expresses the comfort and assurance that flow from trusting Christ, who has conquered death and guaranteed our future by His Resurrection. They see it as an example of a song that can be sung to offer assurance and comfort in a time of trial and uneasiness, which is very relevant in the current COVID-19 crisis.

What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our only confidence? That our souls to Him belong.

“The reality of Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead is central to Christian faith,” Keith said.

“By His Resurrection, Christ conquered sin and death and now

Matt Papa, Jordan Kauflin, Keith Getty, Matt Boswell and Matt Merker (along with Keith’s wife Kristyn) have collaborated on a new hymn.

offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who turn from sin and trust in Him.”

“Therefore, we want to equip churches to sing about the Resurrection. The Resurrection transforms the way that we live every day, and it provides unshakable hope in Jesus.”

The hymn was inspired by the first article of the historic Heidelberg Catechism of 1563, in which believers are reminded that they have assurance of eternal life through the blood of Jesus. The hymn reminds Christians of the hope that can be found in Christ’s death and resurrection.

“There is no need to shrink back from mentioning death in our hymns, because we know the Living One who has conquered death forever,” Keith said.

“The Christian can sing hallelujah, because Christ assures us of our glorious future.”

This is conveyed in the hymn by the Gettys: “What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our only confidence? That our souls to Him belong.”

Keith and Kristyn Getty are modern hymn writers well known for In Christ Alone, written by Keith with Stuart Townend. Keith and Kristyn live between Northern Ireland and Nashville with their four children.

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Steph Curry hosts worship

On 26 March, NBA player and devout Christian, Stephen Curry, hosted the first of many Instagram Live videos in which he leads worship with his family and famous Christian singers.

Curry and his wife Ayesha created the Instagram account called Home + Hallelujah to host the worship sessions. The account now has over 50,000 followers.

The Golden State Warriors NBA star wrote on the page bio that the Home + Hallelujah worship sessions are “A place to gather, worship and lift each other up.”

Famous Christian artists that have featured in the worship sessions include Chris Tomlin, Christian rapper Lecrae and Australian worship leaders from Hillsong.

Curry is being praised by Christian leaders for his method of encouraging believers during the global pandemic, including Transformation Church Pastor, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mike Todd.

“[Curry is] actually being the minister in your sphere of influence.”

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death can be found on all streaming platforms and is available for purchase.

Author – John Igglesden

A minute with ...

Lisa Potgieter

Principal of Atlantis Beach Baptist College, Lisa Potgieter, recently provided her thoughts and experience of the COVID-19 pandemic to The Advocate.

How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time … How do you load an entire term’s work online? One small activity at a time … How do I support all my students? One phone call or message at a time … How do I survive through this COVID-19 crisis? Get up, get dressed and go do my absolute very best …

This is how we as a college staff are surviving and navigating our path through this tumultuous time. During our weekly staff devotions, we have declared that we believe that God will never challenge us beyond our ability. Daily, we endeavour to deliver our absolute personal best to our profession, community and families. We truly believe as a staff that if our personal best is good enough for God, it is good enough for the students, parents and the wider community. We firmly believe that each member of staff has been placed in this community for a reason. We all have a unique and personalised void to fill in the lives of our students. Empowering each other as a staff, with the belief that our best is good enough, has also eased feelings of inadequacy and work-related stress. We have tackled the eating of this elephant as a synchronised team in various sittings. We are doing well so far.

Then again, honestly speaking, the online learning journey in our college has been perceived as cold and distant. It seems that no matter how well prepared or visually stimulating a lesson, the reality is that children crave personal interaction to feel valued. We need someone to witness our life. We have done well, but we must acknowledge that nothing writes a better paragraph than a newly sharpened, borrowed pencil off your favourite teacher’s desk. Nothing makes you do as many extra sums as the genuine warm glint of appreciation in your teacher’s eye.

Staff and students have agreed that it gets lonely online, we miss the energy of our classes and we miss the feeling of visibly making a difference in the lives of others. The myriad of newly found obstacles of internet access, passwords and printing ink gets resolved, but the isolation makes us collectively realise that our hearts are empty.

We are praying that this sitting will only serve one elephant and not a herd.

In May, a decision was made to change how SportsFest would be delivered. Typically, 1,300 people aged between 16 and 30 gather in WA’s South West over the Queen’s Birthday weekend to participate in more than 35 sports, ranging from tenpin bowling to Aussie Rules football to tug of war.

Due to the lead time required to prepare for the youth and young adults marque event, alongside the unknown social distancing restrictions that could be in place in September, the decision was made to redesign SportsFest in a new format to ensure engagement and connection with the SportsFest community, even if social restrictions were in place.

BCWA Events Coordinator, Jess Ford shared that while it was disappointing to not come together for the September long weekend, the team was excited to be able to deliver SportsFest 2.0 to Baptist youth and young adults, especially for those situated in remote churches who would not normally be able to make the journey to the South West.

“SportsFest 2.0 will be an opportunity for youth and young adults within churches to connect through weekly challenges and to invite their friends to participate and hear the message of Jesus,” Jess said.

“In partnership with our Next Generations Pastor, Ed Devine, challenges will be released for individuals each week alongside church team challenges every second week.”

Ed said sharing the gospel message was at the very core of SportsFest.

“Each week we’ll have a message from some of our Next Generations pastors in line with this year’s theme ‘Just Ordinary?’, focusing on the various individuals in the Bible who seemed very ordinary at first glance, but through following the calling that God had placed on their life, their somewhat ordinary life did extraordinary things and impacted others in an incredible way,” Ed said.

New format for SportsFest

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Baptist Churches Western Australia (BCWA) undertook a review of events being held in 2020 and the likely impact it would have on them.

“Our hope is that for those who hear this message, will be inspired to do extraordinary things for the Lord through their own lives.”

“It’s important to remember the life Jesus has called us to, to the place He’s called you and I to be faithful to Him – it’s through this faithfulness the ordinary can become extraordinary.”

Jess and Ed said a new feature for 2020 was the development of greater partnerships with key state and national Baptist ministries.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Global Interaction, Baptist World Aid Australia, Baptist Insurance Services, Baptist Financial Services, Baptist Camping Centres, Vose Seminary and BCWA’s Cross-Cultural Ministry and its Women’s Ministry.”

“Each of these partners will be bringing weekly challenges and offering bonus points for being involved in the work they’re doing too!”

Registrations for SportsFest 2.0 are open from 1 to 20 July, with challenges released from 3 August.

To participate, visit sportsfest.org.au

Author – Matthew Chapman

If Mary had Jesus, and Jesus is the lamb of God, does that mean Mary had a little lamb?

SportsFest launched a new initiative for 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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