What Kind of People Ought We to Be? - Relating to Each Other in Crisis

I get it. We are living through a time of crisis unlike any of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes. In just a couple of weeks' time, COVID-19 has totally transformed our world. Who would have thought just a month ago that you would not be able to get toilet paper at the local store?  Schools are shutting down.  Sports leagues are suspending their seasons and championship tournaments so that there are NO SPORTS to watch.  Restaurants are only offering carry out service.  Movie theaters are closing their doors.  The stock market is plunging.  I mean, we're just a couple of weeks away from Road Warrior.

So, it makes sense that we are all a bit on edge right now.  The newsfeed each day seems to be getting worse and worse.  We are experiencing significant disruptions in our schedules, lifestyles, hobbies, routines, jobs, education, and healthcare. As a result, people are anxious and afraid because the world is in a time of chaos and there seems to be little we can do to control the chaos.  When we feel anxious, afraid, and out of control, we often respond to other people with anger, rudeness, and selfishness.  From what people that know are telling us, we are likely just at the beginning of this crisis.  So, if we are going to make it through this time, how should we relate to each other?  What kind of people ought we to be?

Nearly two thousand years ago, the Apostle Peter asked that very question.  He was contemplating the fact that there is coming a day when this world as we know it will come to an end.  Look at what he says: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)  Peter says there is coming a day when the ultimate disintegration of life here on earth as we know it is going to happen.  There is coming a day when the end of the world as we know it (to quote REM) is going to take place.

Now, I don't know if our present crisis is an indication that we are approaching that time or not.  It certainly wouldn't surprise me.  The point, however, is that any time of crisis ought to remind us that this reality and this world as we know it are not eternal.  Plagues, financial crises, natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars are all functions of the fact that this world has a life expectancy, and it will one day end.

So, in consideration of that fact, Peter asks this question: Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? (2 Peter 3:11a)  Since this world is one day going to be no more, since Jesus is coming back again, and since he will judge all of us on the basis of whether we have trusted in him and allowed him to transform our lives, what kind of people ought you to be?  Peter's answer: You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. (2 Peter 3:11b-12).

Peter's question is a great question for us to ask ourselves in the current Coronavirus crisis.  What kind of people ought we to be?  How should we respond to the challenges that we are currently facing, and especially how should we relate to each other as we navigate this crisis?  Peter says we ought to live holy and godly lives.  What does that mean?  Well, holy and godly are not character qualities that we can generate in ourselves.  The only way for any of us to be holy and godly is through giving our lives to Jesus Christ.  He is the only person who ever lived a holy and godly life.  So, the only way for you and I to be found holy and godly is through trusting in Jesus' sinless life, his death on the cross as a payment for our sins, and his resurrection from the dead to overcome the power and penalty of our sins. (If you've never done that, please contact me.  I would love to tell you more about how you can become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.)

Then, once Jesus changes you, you are free to live out the life that he has placed inside of you, a holy and godly life.  That's why Peter closes out by saying, Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)  In our present crisis, I would like to recommend three ways that we could all grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

1. Extend grace to each other.  This is uncharted territory for all of us.  Your local store managers were not prepared for massive runs on basic supplies.  Your child's teacher had no warning that he or she was going to have to try to figure out how to educate your child using distance learning and online education.  The families in your neighborhood were not prepared for having their kids at home and everyone being on some level of lockdown for weeks on end.  Your pastors and churches have little to no experience with living as the church in this environment.  As a result, we're probably all going to make some mistakes.  Things are not going to go as planned.  We're not going to get it right and we probably will sometimes get it downright wrong. So, let's all extend some grace to each other.  Let's forgive.  Let's offer kindness and compassion.  Let's take care of each other.
2. Be patient with each other.  Because this is uncharted territory for all of us, we are all figuring this out as we go.  Teachers and store managers and bosses and doctors and pharmacists and government officials and public servants and pastors and families are all navigating a new reality.  And it's going to take some time for us to figure out some of this.  So be patient.  Don't get angry.  Don't yell.  Be slow to criticize or complain.  
3. Be humble.  In our present environment, being humble for me generally means, "Don't be a jerk."  Don't act like you know it all or have it all figured out.  Don't be the person who refuses to listen to the wisdom and instructions of people who know more about the situation than you do.  Don't make snap judgments based on your opinions or some theory you read on the internet.  Don't disregard the information and instructions we are being told by epidemiologists, virologists, and government authorities.  Be humble enough to submit to their leadership and authority.  And most importantly, humble yourself before God.  Take some time to pray.  Ask him to forgive us for disregarding him, and ask him to bring an end to this virus. Recognize that he is ultimately the one who is in control, and submit yourself to him.

[We would love for you to join us for worship this Sunday with The Crossroads Community Church online at The3C.online.church.]

4 Ways to Keep Developing Your Kids while on Lockdown

With the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and the implementation of protocols to help "flatten the curve," many families may find themselves with a lot more together time with no real plan for what to do.  If your children's school determines to temporarily suspend on-campus instruction for an extended period of time, you may be wondering what you can do to help occupy all that extra time on their hands.  In addition to just keeping them busy, effective parenting means helping them to grow and develop.  

If you, like the Kemp household, are not ordinarily a home-schooler with a good handle on how to do that already, here are four things we are implementing to keep everyone happy and progressing while we are on lockdown.

We always feel like it is a good idea to look to Jesus as our model for life; so, let's do that with this situation.  There's really only one verse in the Bible that tells us about Jesus' key developmental years after age 12.  Luke 2:52 says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man (ESV).  Luke says there were four areas that Jesus grew in from the time he was 12 years old until he was an adult: wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with people.  Those four areas form the basis for our strategy for developing our children during the lockdown and daily activities to facilitate that development.

Wisdom - Luke says that Jesus grew in wisdom.  There are a lot of things that go into being a wise person, but for our purposes, we have chosen two things to help our children grow in the area of wisdom.  One, each day they must do some educational activity.  They can read a book, work on math facts, study spelling, learn about another country or culture in the world, or simply keep up with work that their teachers will likely soon start sending out to them.  There are also a lot of museums, zoos, and musical groups that are currently offering free online experiences that your kids might enjoy.  Two, each day they must do some creative activity.  Play a board game. Put together a puzzle. Learn to sew. Bake some goodies to share with the rest of the family or a shut-in neighbor. Do an art project.  Practice their instrument.  Sing a song.  Have a campout in the living room, complete with a tent, s'mores, and some scary stories.  Today, my girls are doing an in-home beauty day, fixing each other's hair, doing makeovers, and practicing new make-up techniques.

Stature - In other words, Jesus grew physically.  So, each day, make sure your children are doing some physical activity.  Have them walk/jog around the block, throw a ball in the backyard, play outside in the rain, get on the treadmill, play some "indoor volleyball" with a balloon, do some simple calisthenics, pretty much anything that works up a sweat.  If you are okay with the kids jumping on the furniture, one of my kids' favorite games when they were young that got them up and moving was "the floor is lava."  If they are doing something that actually gets their heart rate up, 30 minutes should suffice.  If the activity is a little more laid back, push it to an hour.  We also don't want this time to become a time of developing some bad habits, so we are having a scheduled time for everyone to be up, cleaned, dressed, and at the table ready for breakfast.

You also want to do your best to make sure they are eating healthy foods while they are stuck at the house.  While options at the grocery store may be more limited currently, the produce section at our local markets appear to be abundantly stocked right now.  In running to the store for toilet paper, milk, bread, and eggs, make sure you also pick up some apples, oranges, asparagus, or broccoli.  

Favor with God - The current coronavirus crisis is actually a very important time for your children to grow in their relationship with God.  Right now, there is a lot of fear spreading throughout the world, and children definitely pick up on the fear they sense in us and others.  The antidote to fear is faith, so make sure you are not neglecting this area of your child's development.  We are requiring our kids to do one spiritual activity each day.  Teach your kids how to have a daily time of Bible reading and prayer (a quiet time).  Give them a memory verse to work on.  This week, our church is memorizing 2 Timothy 1:7: For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.  Once they have memorized a verse, have them spend time meditating on it, which is simply extended time thinking about the verse, what it means, and how it applies to their lives.  Turn on some worship music to listen to as they are stuck at home.  

Favor with man - The last area of Jesus growth was in the area of relationships with other people.  Jesus said that our love for one another is the evidence that we really are his disciples.  So, each day, we want our kids to do one others-focused activity.  In the practical world of our household, that is going to mean doing some chore to help out around the house.  That can be cleaning a room.  One of the great ideas my wife came up with years ago was to create a notecard for each room of the house listing out each of the things that need to be done in that room for that room to be considered "Mom approved." Whatever way you work it out, more people at home for long periods of time is going to mean there are more chores to be done.  So, develop a system where everyone can pitch in.

Others-focused activities can also include people outside your household.  We want to maintain safe protocols as far as social distancing, but we don't need to just become hermits with no concern for others.  Have your kids check on their friends and their friends family members to make sure they are doing okay.  If they discover someone has a need that your family can help with, by all means do so.  One of our local nursing homes has requested people to write letters and cards to their residents who are no longer able to receive visitors.  This would be a great project for your kids to tackle.  Also, make sure you check on elderly neighbors and family members and those who are at risk.  Your family could make grocery runs, help with yard work, walk a dog, etc.

Finally, parents, the best way for you to instill these four habits in your kids is for you to model them.  Make sure you are developing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and people as you are encouraging the same things in your kids.  If we do so, we will come through the lockdown, not just surviving, but growing and improving and healthier.