It was roughly a month ago that many were beginning to realize the grave seriousness of this coronavirus pandemic. Just today, the death toll in the U.S. has now surpassed that of China. We are glued to the news, longing to better understand the nature of this disease and how we might all stem the tide of death and devastation. We are hesitant to learn what tomorrow will bring, and we are quite fearful of what may transpire over the next few months.

As people of faith, we know the many Bible stories that speak of substantial challenges faced by the People of God—slavery in Egypt, survival in the Sinai desert for 40 years, warfare, invasion, the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, dislocation, Roman occupation and persecution. Nearly every biblical character faced his or her share of crises. Most of us are familiar with the stories of our own families that inevitably involve our ancestors facing their own trials and tribulations. Life is all about mountaintop highs and bleak lows in the wilderness. So how do we find our way out of these dark days?

I wish I knew. I wish I could tell everyone that everything will be fine. But we just don’t know what tomorrow holds—only God does. And so, as the faithful of the past have done, we must draw upon the deep well of our faith.

I encourage all of us to read the many Bible stories that teach us about God’s faithfulness. Study the many passages of the four gospels, and the ways in which Jesus teaches us about the nature of God and the living waters of faith in Christ. May we reach out to one another in the spirit of love and grace, rather than fear or judgment. We may be “social distanced,” but we can still call one another and share encouraging words. We can pray for one another, our community, the world, and ourselves, trusting that God hears our prayers and longs for wholeness for all of creation. We can creatively discuss new ways of being the church to minister to so many who will have profound needs.

We are not only in this together, but God is with us, too, and God will see us through this storm.

The old Gospel song declares, “Guide my feet, Lord, while I run this race for I don’t want to run this race in vain!” Yes, indeed, let us trust in God’s guidance as we navigate the uncharted waters of this coronavirus crisis together.

— Rev. Jesse Larson