Transplanting and Sustaining: Covid-19 Special Issue

wise a fresh and engaging article!” But
even Christians can start to think that
the grinning, gap-toothed chorus of
“Jesus is the answer” from a group of
five-year-old Sunday school students
squatting on multicolored jigsaw mats
is oversimplified if not plain childish.
[6] This distrustful response towards
Jesus comes from an expectation that,
like in our human relationships, God is
holding out on us. Like we often do in
our relationship with him, we suspect
that the gracious giver of all things is
holding some true secret to Life away
from his children, close to his chest,
safe.
But God does not hold back. As Paul
writes in his letter to the church in
Ephesus, “Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places.”[7]
Jesus Christ is the absolute fulfillment
of God’s will, an everlasting source
of love, peace, patience, and kindness
in relationship. From the moment we
step into relationship with Christ, we
have the fullness of a God who holds
nothing good back from us. The same
promise God gave to the Israelites all
those years ago he gives to us today: “I
will be your God.” With this strength
and grace behind us, we act.
How do we act? If you are a Christian,
hold to the teaching of Jesus: “let your
light shine before others.”[8] Amidst
the very real tragedy and suffering of
widespread disease, you each have an
incredible opportunity to lead your
homes in becoming houses of God,
where Jesus is glorified as family members
show compassion, forgiveness,
and love to one another. So be the first
to forgive your siblings or parents when
disputes arise and the first to apologize
when you are in the wrong. “As the
Lord has forgiven you, so you must
also forgive.”[9] Be intentional about
presence! It is possible for a family to
be at home and each person to be in
their own room, on their own phone,
and in their own world. Invite your siblings,
“let’s sit at the table together as
we do our schoolwork!” Include your
parents, “can we all eat meals together?”
Let yourself laugh with gut, and
smile as you see light dawn in the wilderness.
Though our bodies might be quarantined,
let’s not quarantine our hearts
by erecting walls of distrust. View all
struggles––family tension, emotional
pain, spiritual temptation––as an
opportunity to let light shine in your
home, not as a heavy burden. How can
Jesus develop our patience if it is not
tried? And who better than our family
members?[10] Sometimes it feels like
biological families are sorted randomly,
with God paying little heed to compatibility
yet expecting lifelong bonds
of love. This is by design. Our biological
families are a preliminary picture
of the family we enter as members of
God’s family, the church. We are connected
not by individual similarity, but
shared parentage: mothers and fathers
in our biological families, our heavenly
Father in the church.
So look around at your family, see
the beautiful diversity of thought,
personality, and behavior. Honor the
Lord in that family by showing love to
each member, showing patience, forgiveness,
and humility towards them.
Schedule time to sit alongside them.
Do not let this opportunity pass with
each family member sequestered in
their own room, virtual or physical,
but be present together. Be the leader
in this. This sounds easier said than
done, but remember that Jesus is our
answer. Jesus is given to us once and
for all by his death on the cross, and
as we worship Him and pray, a still increasing
measure of grace is given to
us for help in times of need.[11] Jesus
can be trusted to provide the love, patience,
kindness, and emotional healing
that we all need to bring our homes
to the Promised Land.
All, I repeat, all bitterness towards my
grandmother has evaporated in the last
year. We now have cordial conversations.
I pray for her mental illness to be
healed. She smiles more now and can
sleep better. The craziest part is that I
didn’t scrunch up my eyes and pray real
hard and try to forgive her. Jesus just
can’t be where bitterness is. For me,
that’s miraculous. I want our picture, my
grandmother and I, on the Pink Room
walls as a memorial of God’s faithfulness.
Thank you, Father.
“In the same way, let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your Father
who is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16
I do not assume that everyone reading
this comes from the same faith tradition,
and I can fully accept that what
I have said might seem unreasonable.
All this stuff about Jesus being given to
us, what does it mean? Allow me to tell
one more grief-stricken yet beautiful
exodus story.
In the time of the first Exodus, God
advocated for the Israelites while they
still lived in slavery. He even went so
far as to kill all the first-born children
in households unmarked by the blood
of a “pass-over” lamb. After bringing
Israel out of Egypt, he took them
through the waters of the Red Sea and
through the wilderness, guiding them
at each step. He faithfully brought
them into the Promised Land, fulfilling
his initial promise. But Christians
believe that this exodus, too, is a preliminary
picture of the salvation God
would bring to his whole earth through
Jesus, his only Son. When Jesus came
to earth, he advocated for the sick,
showing compassion by his healing.
He guided people through life’s twists
and turns, a leader in righteousness
by his teaching and a leader in love
by his weeping. Penultimately, he was
crucified on a Roman cross as the final
“pass-over” lamb, whose blood can
mark us as protected before God. But
the story does not end there. Ultimately,
Jesus rose from the dead by the powerful
Spirit of God to reign as Lord,
and all who believe in Him will one
day rise too! But until then, He continues
to guide us through the waters and
the wilderness until we can reach Him
in heaven, the Promised Land. That is
the Christian hope.
Do you feel the love of God stirring
your heart? Do you see the love of
God in Jesus’ sacrifice? If so, just proclaim
this simple prayer to God. He is
listening.
Dear God,
I see your love in the sacrificial
death of Jesus.
I believe you raised Him to new
Life as Lord.
I want to lead a new life.
I accept your gift of Salvation so I
can love you and love others.
Amen.
Have any questions? If so, email me:
daniel.chabeda@yale.edu.
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/
us/coronavirus-university-college-classes/
index.html
[2] Exodus 6:6,7
[3] Exodus 14:12b
[4] Exodus 16:3
[5] Exodus 15:22-23
[6] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive
the kingdom of God like a child shall
not enter it.” - Mark 10:15
[7] Ephesians 1:3
[8] Matthew 5:16
[9] Colossians 3:13b
[10] This may be especially hard if your
home situation remains an obstacle to
faith. I did not discuss the unique challenge
of unbelieving family members and that
some are antagonized for their belief at
home, but the advice stays the same. “Let
your light shine before others.” Also pray
a lot.
[11] Hebrews 4:16
.
16 Covid-19: Spring 2020 logos . 17