February 9, 2021
Sharing from the congregation – David Petty
You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. —Deuteronomy 11:18-19
These are the things you must insist on and teach... set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. — 1 Timothy 4:11-12
The last time I checked the pandemic statistics, the numbers were somewhat better. Perhaps they are up again as you read this, but I think that overall there is reason for optimism. New vaccines are coming out all the time, people have become better at social distancing, and the healthcare system is improving its therapies for the disease. There is still a ways to go; but although we should not forget immediate concerns, it may be time to start thinking about the aftermath.
The bad news — the very bad news — is that eventually there will be more pandemics. The conditions that led to this one, poverty in some areas that gives rise to outbreaks plus rapid transportation that can spread disease across the globe, are still with us. Perhaps our very next crisis, though, will be something else.
Regardless, we hope that during our present troubles we have learned things, both “practical” and spiritual, that we can use next time. To do so can be valuable for ourselves, but is even more important, I think, for someone else: our children.
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the importance of teaching our children. I believe that, of all the sacred duties we have as Christians, teaching the children is close to the top. Some of us still have children in our homes; others have young grandchildren or nieces or nephews; or we might have close friends with little ones. But even if we don’t have children close to us, our example and attitudes during this crisis are important.
What I am saying is that how we deal with our current situation — our faithfulness, our courage, our service to others, and so on — can set the stage for how those who come after us handle the situations that they encounter. Undoubtedly, we have fallen short at times, but we can do better in the days to come.
We have been given the privilege of living through a time filled to the brim with peril and with promise. We have been given a rare chance to provide a very special gift to our children and to our children’s, children’s, children. May the Lord’s Spirit guide us through all of this. As the old hymn puts it, “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days.”
Gracefully submitted,
David Petty