“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, and it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens 1859).
The echoes of Dickens’ London of a couple of centuries ago are no less relevant in the beginning of the second decade of the third millenium when the world stands still under the cruel haunt of a tiny, potent, and effective little virus…
It is the worst of times, the age of foolishness, and disbelief, and incredulity, a season of Darkness, a winter of despair for so many who fix their eyes on things seen, things obvious, things of this earth.
It is the best of times, the age of wisdom, the epoch of belief, the season of Light, and the spring of hope for those who look up! Salvation is near!
But beyond the overall contrasts of a world gone silent and frantic at the same time, beyond the empty streets and packed hospitals, beyond masks and ventilators, for Christians, indeed, this is the tale of two times, the best of times, but also the worst of times.
It is the worst of times because our churches and places of worship, once thriving with life, music, prayer, sharing of the bread and the wine, and above all, the very presence of God, the Holy Ghost, have become places where you can only hear the echo of the lone voice of a man of God trying to desperately reach His church ‘online’ via unseen waves of an invisible cloud. He stands with dignity and courage and instead of looking at the impassioned faces of the people he dearly loves and has faithfully served for close to a lifetime, he looks at the expressionless cold eye of a lifeless camera.
It is the worst of times because the sweet comfort of a human touch – a hug, a handshake – is gone for a while. So many have been isolated and socially distanced, and this hurts the very soul of us who long for the embrace of Jesus that is often found in the kind and gentle hug of a fellow believer.
It is the worst of times because we hurt for our prodigal sons and daughters who insist on staying away from Christ, the only One who can truly answer their quest and fulfill their misplaced needs, even at a time of great trial. We fear lost opportunity, we want them saved, and we think time is running out.
It is the worst of times because even as Christians who trust in the Lord for our well-being we are not immune to fear, depression, anxiety, insecurity, loss of all kinds. We still have to live with these and overcome them in this broken world that is our temporary home.
It is the worst of times because we might get sick, and some of us may die. Grief and tragedy envelop us these days like an unwelcome prickling blanket, and we can’t even mourn because of quarantine. A flowerless funeral of a great man of God is attended ‘online’ and a grieving family is left alone around a closed casket in a deserted cemetery where the only other attendants are people wearing masks.
It is the worst of times because it seems that in the fight against the formidable COVID-19 pandemic, there are no answers, no solutions, and no light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel.
Yet,
It is the best of times. It is the very best of times. It is a time of mercy and grace when God Himself is calling us to pay attention, to rise up, to listen!
It is the best of times because with crisis comes opportunity, growth, self-awareness, repentance, revival, awakening. We get to clean up the dark corners of our lives, throw away any idols, worldliness, and vanity. We get to humble ourselves and repent because we long for healing.
It is the best of times because we get to go back to the basics. Stop and sit with the Lord and hear His heart, His voice, His will. The added bonus is supernatural peace and joy in the midst of the storm.
It is the best of times because we have the opportunity to let the church be the church! The hands and feet of Jesus, united in every other way but the traditional way of gathering in physical spaces!
It is the best of times because we get to pray like we haven’t maybe prayed in a long time. The Lord’s Prayer reverberates differently from our lips these days and bending our knee somehow feels different… Scriptures and song lyrics sound fresh and new, and penetrate our raw souls, separating bone from marrow.
It is the best of times because instead of worshipping in a building, we get to worship in spirit and in truth together with the ones we love the most, our families, in our homes!
It is the best of times because the noise and chatter of this world are paused and we can hear and see beyond the veil of distractions and refocus our lives on what truly matters. We can press the reset button on our priorities and place Jesus back at the top. For us, to live is Christ and to die is gain!
It is the best of times because we get to be salt and light in a spoiled and very dark world. We get to proclaim the Gospel with a megaphone these days because people’s hearts are softened by tragedy and the fear of the unknown.
It is the best of times because we get to walk our talk with our children, our spouses, our relatives, our communities. We get to experience what it’s like to talk about Jesus outloud, to tell about our hope to people who, for a change, may not roll their eyes and ignore us but listen because their well-crafted arguments fail in the face of unspeakable powerless tragedy, and when Jesus is all that is left, He is enough. He is everything.
It is the best of times because we can choose to stop taking things for granted, things like Sunday worship, old hymns, admonishments made in love, a choir practice, and a weekday prayer service. Things like our spouses and children, our large intrusive families and our tiring jobs, the roof above our heads and a closet full of clothes, our full refrigerators and gas tanks, our health and well-being, our walk with Christ and our testimony to the world.
It is the absolute very best of times because THE BRIDE, the beloved church of Christ, is donning the wedding gown, preparing, getting ready for the heavenly celebration that is almost here! “‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8).
I wonder what we will choose to make of these times of great pause in the world. Will we make these times the best days of our lives or the worst days of our lives? Will we hear, really hear, Christ whisper in our ears? Will we heed His message? Will we use this opportunity to repent, engage, listen, change, proclaim, prepare? Or will we choose to make these the worst of times, stuck in fear, anxiety, self-pity and self-indulgence?
What will this season of COVID-19 stillness be for you? The best of times or the worst of times?
Sanda & Claudiu Valcu
