COVID-19 will change the world – for better or worse?

Launceston Alive cares very much about how our region copes with and emerges from the COVID-19 crisis.

We are thinking, consulting, praying and doing all we can for your safety and well-being.

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COVID-19 –

SOME FACTS AS WE CURRENTLY KNOW THEM

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COVID-19 –

AND LAUNCESTON

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HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER THROUGH THIS?

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HORRENDOUS DISASTER, OPPORTUNITY OR BOTH?

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PLAGUES – HISTORY, THEOLOGY AND PRACTICALITY

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WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU

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COVID-19 – THE FACTS AS WE CURRENTLY KNOW THEM

There is a lot of information out there – some more accurate than others.

We would recommend https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/what-you-need-to-know-about-coronavirus-covid-19 as a regularly updated source of basic information about COVID-19

You can watch a basic video at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-03/under-the-microscope/12116362 (though a virus is not a cell)

For Tasmanian information see www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au

We will add other useful sites and sources of information.

COVID-19 AND LAUNCESTON

A daily updated source of information about Launceston and COVID-19 is https://www.examiner.com.au/story/6678350/covid-19-latest-updates-for-tasmania/?cs=2596

For a useful article by Launceston-based GP Dr Graham Poole see https://www.examiner.com.au/story/6708929/covid-19-fear-and-the-national-soul/

HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER THROUGH THIS?

First: Please do all you can to NOT be a transmitter of this terrible virus. It has been said: “Don’t go anywhere, don’t touch anyone, don’t touch anything, don’t touch your face and wash your hands frequently.”

Next: be aware – everyone is doing it tough. Stress manifests in many ways. It’s ok to feel a lot of emotions. It’s not ok to hurt anyone because we are hurting. This is a good time to process emotions in prayer. Journalling helps. There IS someone to talk to, even if it seems there’s not. Reach out further, more frequently. If you can, be a listening ear for others. Ask questions. Validate emotions. Empathise where you can. Admit it when you can’t…”I can’t imagine what that must feel like…”

Third: people are going to need practical help. In fact we all will. If we make this a season of extraordinary unselfishness and generosity we will all be better off. That’s going to be inconvenient at times. More listening… more sharing… more helping… more giving…

Let’s do this Launceston! Let’s not let this virus beat us! Especially as Easter comes and goes, let’s remember the One who modelled unselfishness, healed, rose the dead, loved the outcast, fed the crowds, washed feet, then gave his very life for us.

Let’s come Alive with care!

HORRENDOUS DISASTER, OPPORTUNITY OR BOTH?

Few would disagree that COVID-19 is a destructive uninvited intruder into our society and lives. Already it is reaping extensive disease, deaths, grief, loss, economic hardship and societal angst on an massive international scale. The sooner we are able to stop the pandemic – the better. We must all do everything we can to minimise the disaster it is causing as the COVID-19 wave hits nation after nation. The knock-on and systemic effects will surely be extensive and the hardships yet to be encountered are inumerable and currently unfathomable.

Some see it as the end of life as we’ve known it, with the extraordinary freedoms of movement we have enjoyed over recent decades. It is certainly clear that the world will never be quite the same again. Even just the huge burden of grief and loss will take years or decades to process and recover from.

However most would also recognise that amidst the horror, something at least a bit beautiful is also happening. Families are more together at home than they were in the frenetic pre-COVID helter-skelter.

People are communicating about how they can help each other through this. We are thinking together creatively. Christians are being seen by their acts of selfless loving kindness rather than just the spectacle of their church services. An egg or two, or a jar of home-made jam or relish is being passed across the back fence to a neighbour we never really chatted with before.

It is our hope and prayer that this epidemic will soon cease, and that as few as possible people will be affected – but we also hope that in the process, we might grow in humility, kindness, care, service, courage, willingness to be inconvenienced for the good of those around us and those far away who are suffering so much more than we are. Maybe history will record positive things, as well as negative, about this difficult and painful season.

PLAGUES – HISTORY, THEOLOGY AND PRACTICALITY

Let’s look at the Bible, history and Christian writings – old and new.

The Bible has a lot to say about plagues. Most have heard of the terrible series of plagues which afflicted Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go free from their life of horrendous slavery.

Those same people, once free, suffered a plague after making a golden calf as an idol and again when they complained about no meat to eat.

Another plague struck 10 of the 12 spies when they returned from investigating the promised land and gave a negative faithless report, discouraging the people from entering it. Joshua and Caleb, who reported the truth, were spared.

14,700 people died in a plague after grumbling against Moses, but God provided Aaron a way of intervening – and the plague ended.

24,000 died in a plague when the Israelites broke God’s commands about sexual purity.

In Moses’ farewell speech to the people he made it clear that terrible plagues would occur if the people turned to disobedience rather than obedience to God.

A plague struck the Philistines when they captured and held onto the Ark of the Covenant.

When Solomon had built the temple, his inaugural dedication prayer included the request that when humble repentant prayer was offered in the context of a plague, God would hear and mercifully deliver those whose hearts were contrite toward him.

The prophets spoke a lot about plagues. It seems that God cared so much about people’s spiritual and relational health that he was willing for some to suffer physically in order that they would turn away from their lifestyle of destructive moral gangrene.

It is interesting, in this context, that Jesus never reiterated such threats. He was realistic about extremely hard times ahead in which many would love themselves rather than their Creator, but never made a threat that God would use plagues as a way of bringing people to their senses.

It is not until the intense imagery in the book of Revelation that the New Testament uses the word plague. There we see dramatic plagues as a manifestation of God bringing sinful rebellion to conclusion. When the temple gets filled with the glory of God no-one is able to enter until the seven terrible plagues are completed.

A final warning in the last words of the Bible remind us to not mess around with God’s Holy Scriptures, as plague would be added to anyone who tried to add to his Word.

History is dotted with plagues. There have been devastating outbreaks of Cholera, Bubonic Plague, Influenza, Typhus fever, Smallpox and other terrible diseases. The Black Death in 1334 killed nearly 60% of the European population. Spanish Flu killed around 30 million people, more than WW1.

More recently we have had HIV, Mad Cow Disease, Avian and Swine Influenza, Ebola, SARS, MERS and now COVID-19.

What can we learn from how Christians have handled plagues over history? This question is answered well in Lyman Stone’s article “Christianity Has Been Handling Epidemics for 2000 Years” at https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/13/christianity-epidemics-2000-years-should-i-still-go-to-church-coronavirus/

Marshall Segal’s article “What Courage will Coronavirus Unleash?” is also useful at https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-courage-might-corona-unleash

In addition to John Piper’s Letter “Coronavirus and Christ – Behold the Kindness and Severity of God” there are a number of useful resources at https://www.desiringgod.org/coronavirus

A particularly helpful response is Mirjam Schilling, Joel and Nathan Gamble’s ” Fear not, sneer not: A healthy Christian response to COVID-19″ at https://www.abc.net.au/religion/coronavirus-a-healthy-christian-response-to-covid-19/12063556

Launceston-based GP Graham Poole has written a useful article at https://www.examiner.com.au/story/6708929/covid-19-fear-and-the-national-soul/

A lot more has been written, and a lot more will be. There is a lot more that could be written here. We will endeavour to keep this site, and our blog, updated with useful articles and news. Thanks for reading this far. Welcome to email info@launcestonalive.org if you have feedback, suggestions or questions.

COVID-19 – We Would Like to Hear From You

No matter who you are or what your experience of COVID-19 is, we’d like to hear from you.

Simply email info@launcestonalive.org

Tell us whatever you like.

Tell us if you need help – but if its urgent help you need, please call someone who can respond urgently, which we’re not set up to do.

You matter to us, so let us know what you think or feel.

Thanks.

April 8th - 12th

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COVID-19 – THE FACTS AS WE CURRENTLY KNOW THEM

COVID-19 AND LAUNCESTON

HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER THROUGH THIS?

HORRENDOUS DISASTER, OPPORTUNITY OR BOTH?

PLAGUES – HISTORY, THEOLOGY AND PRACTICALITY

COVID-19 – We Would Like to Hear From You