Loving Your Neighbor Amid Crisis
A pandemic can breed selfishness in all of us. We run to the store to stock up on essentials: toilet paper, bread, meat, milk. We go to great measures to protect and provide for our loved ones. But how much of this falls into the realm of survival of the fittest? Are we only thinking of ourselves or do we consider the needs of others? I’ve struggled with the balance between protection and sacrifice.
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What about our elderly neighbors who can’t race to the store when it opensat 8:00 am, to fight for the last package of paper towel? What about those who truly are immunocompromised, who can’t stand in line at the pharmacy? What about my friend, a single mother of two, who’s been wearing the same mask for 3 days as she cares for a COVID-19 patient because there aren’t enough masks for hospital workers?
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It’s good to love our neighbor and protect our families through following guidelines, but we can’t stop there. God’s word calls us to keep going, even in the midst of our own suffering. Yes, it’s hard to be isolated and not see our friends. It can feel overwhelming to suddenly become a homeschooling mom of four. It’s disappointing that our 20th anniversary trip will likely be cancelled. It’s scary to consider that our loved ones could contract a deadly virus. But God calls us to keep loving in the midst of the chaos.
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In the midst of suffering, we’re told to keep doing good.
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“Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Peter 4:19
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Even though our hearts are heavy, we trust in our faithful and good God. And we keep going. What good is God calling you to do today? How can you serve someone who doesn’t have the health or resources that you do? We put one foot in front of the other, trusting God each step of the way.
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