​Twenty-twenty has been a year of different.  At first, so many had great expectations for this year and new decade.  Twenty-twenty vision was the slogan many used to predict what this year would bring.  While it may seem like this expectation never came about due to COVID-19, as we near the end of the year, I would have to argue the converse. 

​It’s been over four months of crazy.  Four months since we’ve been able to walk around and see people’s faces.  How did what initially started out as two weeks of quarantine morph into four months of chaos?  Now we’re on the other side and stepping into a brand new world.  A world where everyone tries to maintain a six-foot personal bubble.  A strange landscape of masks, face shields, and sanitizing wipes.  Gone are the days of hugs and handshakes, and in their place are social bubbles and endless Zoom calls.  What is this world coming to?!

​Our world has changed dramatically over the ages, but one thing remains the same:  after every sunset comes a glorious new sunrise.  After a period of darkness, light shines anew.  This is a constant truth both in the physical world and the spiritual one. Out of the stillness of that first Easter morning came the cry of victory as the ground shook and the stone was moved to reveal an empty tomb.  

​Since COVID-19 has disrupted our normal schedule and routine, my family and I have been joining the online gatherings of two different churches.  One of them is Southeast Christian with Pastor Kyle Idleman.  His name might sound familiar to you because he wrote the bestseller, Not A Fan.  Now he’s the senior pastor of one of the largest churches in America. 
 
Kyle Idleman has been preaching a series called “Reverse the Curse,” which delves into what happened during Adam and Eve’s sin in Genesis 3, the subsequent fall out and consequences that we’re still dealing with today, and the glorious revelation that Jesus is the great curse reverser.  Jesus reverses the curse of sin and gives us new life in Him.  He takes what was broken and makes it whole.  He brings beauty from ashes and breathes new life to what was once dead.

​Now that we’ve gained the correct perspective on fear, faith, and trusting God, let’s talk about the doors God is opening in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Don’t bemoan what we’ve temporarily lost.  Rather, look around and see what God is doing during this time. 
 
We are in an unprecedented time, and, therefore, it is an unprecedented opportunity for the Church and Christians to step up and fulfill our calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  To be the place where truth is proclaimed and hope is given.  To be the people of faith who rise up and say, “Our God is in control and is calling all people to Himself.”  

​Fear.  It’s everywhere.  It’s running wild and unabated in people’s minds and hearts.  It’s driving decisions and changing our lives.   We’ve already discussed how faith should trump fear during this time of panic and uncertainty.  However, there is one thing you should fear:  God.
 
I came across this quote by Charles Spurgeon and felt that it was quite fitting for this season.