Dear Community,
These are unprecedented times for the global human family. When fear and uncertainly threaten to darken so many hearts and minds, we as God’s people must rise up to offer a beacon of light and hope that is steadfast and sure. It is incumbent upon each of us to turn toward God, listen for His voice, and then walk and speak in faith:
“For everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock…the winds blew and beat against that house [and the schools closed, store shelves were emptied, public events were canceled, and countries closed their borders]; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
(See Matthew 7:24-25)
Let’s not forget this “hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19)—while remembering, especially now, that Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (see John 10:10).
Our culture is being tossed about by waves of fear and panic, thoughts of dread and scarcity, mistrust and anxiety; but I want to build a case for faith and hope—faith in knowing that within our global collective in times past and in the most challenging moments, there always arose great innovators, dreamers, and “imagineers” who pushed humanity forward with their novel ideas, scientific breakthroughs, and life-saving innovations.
God works through human potential—most especially when the enemy attempts to suppress or destroy it. From the invention of penicillin to chemotherapy, we see how human potential finds its fullest expression in the midst of history’s darkest hours. Cultural points of inflection prompted by disasters, wars, plagues, and disease brought us to revolutionary discoveries that went on to strengthen humanity for generations.
We are now in the midst of another historical pandemic that will be recorded in the annals of history. What new life-changing innovation might we discover? As previous pandemics alerted the way we think and do life as a species, so the coronavirus presents new cultural, social, scientific, economic, geopolitical, and governmental challenges that lead us again to an opportunity to push humanity forward.
The world into which we were born no longer exists. There is a demand for new industry-specific thought leadership, requiring new types of behaviors and skill sets. Our educational institutions must prepare students for new and emerging socio-political challenges and global dilemmas. I believe the educational space should focus more on the need for critical thinking and problem-solving than on merely bestowing degrees. The 4th Industrial Revolution is here. The future is now.
And now is the time to find a new way forward.
The novel coronavirus is a communicable disease demonstrating sustained person-to-person transmission that is spreading like wildfire through our communities. What should our faith-based response be beyond prayer?
As pastors and parishioners, we can actively engage in creating cultures of awareness and empowerment. We can stay informed as we endeavor to always be aware, yet never afraid. We must equip ourselves to think like problem solvers—and then conscientiously engage in public discourse and crisis management forums. We should be the innovators of new and creative ways to communicate, network, and convene—all for the purpose of informing, comforting, and encouraging a world desperate for light, hope, and love.
And we must pray.
- Pray for caregivers and health professionals
- Pray for governments and government agencies
- Pray for medical and scientific breakthroughs
- Pray for the health of our communities, institutions, and nations
- Pray for leaders, and that we might also lead
As a faith-based community, we have a powerful voice—both a social and political voice, as well as a spiritual voice. With the same boldness we approach heaven, so should we approach the institutions and systems of this world. Now is the time to lift up our voice and make it heard on behalf of humanity in both government halls and heavenly realms. The world needs the wisdom, compassion, and counsel of God’s people.
In my dreams, I see a world filled with visionaries, innovators, and dreamers who push humanity forward and inspire others to do the same. I am a believer. I believe in who we are as people—as creative beings—and that we should never sell ourselves short of our true potential. Together, we can win the war against the coronavirus and any present or future malevolent force that threatens our existence.
With faith and hope,
-Dr. N. Cindy Trimm
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray,
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
“Have faith in God.”
Mark 11:22