Loving Our Neighbors During the Coronavirus Podcast by John Stonestreet for Break Point
Over the past two weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot of how Christians throughout history understood their responsibility to care for the sick and dying, rather than running for the hills like so many of their pagan neighbors. In many ways, the earliest Christians were the earliest first responders, risking their own lives and even losing them, because of what they believed about Christ, about their own lives, about the salvation and love of neighbor, and about human dignity.
In our cultural moment, one in which God has graciously given us knowledge of mitigating the spread of disease as well as the distinctly Christian legacy of hospitals, the love of neighbor involves things such as social distancing so as not to endanger others. But does that mean we disengage completely? How should Christians love their neighbors at this time?
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We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
Almost from the start of this coronavirus threat, even before it was called a pandemic, Dr. Ed Stetzer of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church have been working to gather resources and equip pastors and ministry leaders for this challenge. They, in partnership with others have launched a new website, CoronavirusAndTheChurch.com.
The resources there are helping churches and pastors with everything from developing online worship and education, to communicating with and caring for their own people, to reaching out to the most vulnerable in their communities, including the elderly, sick, and unemployed. And they are collecting stories of innovative things that are already being done, by Christians, right now.
