It's simply too soon to Know
The official US Government report on the 9/11 terrorist attacks exonerated the major security agents for failing to alert the Government beforehand: this sort of attack was terra nova on the terrorist front. That report also exonerated the immediate, well-meaning but wrong, responses of the Government.
Do you remember how President Bush grounded all aircraft? Understandable but unecessary.
In the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic event it is too soon to make judgements. Time must pass. The dust must settle. The fog of war must clear.
It is in that light that I submit the following ten observations from the pandemic - in the full knowledge that they may prove to be off-the-mark in the years to come. The first and the tenth are the most significant.
#1 We have learnt that invisible (but invaluable) bonds are formed merely by in-person meeting
God has designed the social world such that bonds are formed between people who meet and talk in the flesh, in person. The mere fact that they meet body-to-body forms these invisible bonds.
These bonds include the bond of love - we naturally ask how the other is; the bond of simple encouragement - here is another human being just like me; and the bond of accountability - here's a fellow 'mirror' who 'judges' me and through whom my life is assessed.
No digital form of communcation compares to in-person. Not Zoom, nor Email, nor Text nor phone call. None of these come close to the physical or bodily presence of another.
This is how God has wired the social world and this is how the Son of God revealed his presence with us. Not as an almost-human theophany nor as a holy hologram, but in the flesh, God incarnate.
When Christians meet, those bonds take on a new dimension because of the witness of the Holy Spirit who lives within each one of us and binds us together 'with cords that cannot be broken.'
The Holy Spirit, however, does not over-ride the already-created social world, but redeems and sanctifies it.
When Christians meet these invisible - almost mystical - bonds are maintained and grow. And when we cease to meet in person those bonds are easily weakend, and even broken.
#2 We have learnt that our natural weaknesses are made worse by human isolation
Since a natural accountability takes place merely by the event of meeting up with our brothers and sisters in person, when we cease to do so, our own weaknesses can easily be accentuated.
Someone with a faulty bias for one particular doctrine is kept in check by the community of God's people: simply by the bonds of community. The moment they cease meeting with those people, their biases grow until inevitably they move up the scale from tertiary to secondary to primary importance rendering that person unable to meet any longer with any group that doesn't now hold their now elevated but in reality quaternary (of the fourth importance) doctrines.
#3 We have learnt that there is no substitute for personal pastoral visits
Jesus did all his 'pastoral' work in person. Whether teaching his disicples or restoring Peter, all the Chief Shepherd's work was done in bodily presence. There is something very powerful about bodily presence, something more powerful than a phone call or an email or a text - or even a zoom call.
Writing is always second fiddle to the personal: "I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer not to do so with pen and ink. Instead, I hope to see you soon and speak with you face to face." (3 John 13-14)
#4 We have learnt the great value of the Small Group
If only we paid more attention to the Gospels and the discipleship style of Jesus. Many churches pay more attention to Paul's 13 doctrinal letters than to the 4 Gospels. At the core of his ministry Jesus called together twelve men - a small number - to be with one another. Sure they learnt from him most of all, but they also learnt by being in community with each other: think of how many weaknesses were exposed in communion with one another!
During the past 18 monhts, believers plugged into small groups have fared much better than believers who have thought they could make it on their own.
#5 We have discovered a pandemic of loneliness in our world
People who were already lonely have experienced a double isolation, and many who were not lonely before have experienced it for the first time, isolated from communties and loved ones.
If ever there was a Gospel opportunity, here is one for today: befriend the Eleanor Rigbys of our lost world.
# 6 We have learnt that without personal connection believers either drift away or don't grow, or both
We already knew that didn't we? There is no such thing as individual, private spiritual growth, "me in my small corner and you in yours." We grow in community with brothers and sisters. Without their admonition and encouragement we grow weird, don't grow or simply drift away.
The old "take a coal out of the fire and it will grow cold" analogy is spot on. The Holy Spirit does not over-ride the supportive relational structures God first formed in the world of human beings at creation.
#7 We have been reminded that Satan goes after the lone sheep
Old knowledge for anyone who has watched lions hunting on the Serengeti. A zebra or wildebeest on its own is prime target for lions.
And a Christian on their own, either deliberately or unwantedly, will find themselves in the enemy's sights. We are minded of John Wesley's rebuke to Whitfield (a brilliant evangelist who did not, however make gathering converts together a top priority, as Wesley did), I paraphrase, "To preach like an angel but not gather the converts together is to beget children for the devil."
On this one, Wesley was 100% right, Whitfield was 100% wrong.
#8 We have had to learn to do evangelism in new ways
How do we reach a frightened population stuck in the confines of their own four walls? We can place a "Bag of Hope" on their doorstep. Filled with useful things like puzzles and colouring sheets and seeds and face masks. And Gospel tracts. Then we ring the doorbell. Then take four paces back. And when the owner appears explain that this bag of hope comes from Christians with love - and it's free, just like the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
#9 We have learnt that sermons can be shorter
(At least some of the time.) It takes more effort to hone them, maybe, but our shorter attention-span folks can perhaps better learn from the shorter than the longer.
#10 We have learnt that no pandemic can hinder the work of the Gospel or the progress of the Kingdom of God!
This is by far the greatest lesson of the last 18 months. The kingdom of God has grown and flourished. Believers have grown in grace, unbelievers converted and baptised and discipled.
Nothing can hold back the glorious advance of God's kingdom. Persecution didn't. Colonialism hasn't. Wars don't. And nor do pandemics.
Praise God.
Who knows, we may revise one or all of these observations once the fog of pandemic clears and we are able to see things a little more clearly.
Above all, we know that the Gospel which is the power of God, will flourish until the day Jesus returns and establishes his eternal kingdom.
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