One Silver Lining of the Covid-19 Crisis

Covid-19 has changed everything for the entire country and most of the world. The medical and economic impacts have ravaged individual lives and the culture as a whole. History shows that watershed events – like localized natural disasters, 9/11, and now Covid-19 – shock people out of their complacency, causing them to reevaluate many aspects of their lives. And, after these events, church attendance typically blossoms – at least for a while.

Our current crisis presents an unusual dilemma for Christians. As Jesus-followers, we feel compelled to address others’ needs in whatever ways we can. This often means donating goods, supplies or cash. Or it can mean rolling up our sleeves to volunteer with disaster clean-up or help a not-for-profit address the crisis of the moment.

With Covid-19, though, millions of people – including many Christians – are facing economic stress and are in need of assistance themselves. And public health and political leaders have stressed “shelter in place” requirements, telling us the most significant contribution we can make is not venturing out, even to help. This obviously severely curtails volunteer opportunities.

Despite these limitations, there is a way every Christian can have an impact for the Kingdom. Back in 1998, Campus Crusade for Christ’s Worldwide Challenge magazine published an terrific article entitled “20 Questions You Can Use to Turn a Conversation to Spiritual Things.” I have referenced this piece dozens of times and distributed hundreds of copies.

Here are a couple of my favorite questions:

·       When you’re chatting with, say,  another parent at a soccer game, after you go through the typical questions about which neighborhood they live in, how long they’ve been in the area, etc., you can ask in a very low-key and natural way, “Do you guys go to church anywhere?” Their answer will give you great insights into their attitudes – open, indifferent or bitter – and can lead to tailored follow-up questions. If you’re likely to have ongoing interaction with them, there is no need to jump in during the first conversation. You can save this question for a subsequent conversation.

·       Here’s another good question:  “We’ve been friends for a while, but I’ve never had the chance to talk with you about what is really the most important factor in my life. Is it OK if I share that with you?”

These two are awesome, but this one next is custom-designed for our conversations in the Covid-19 era:

·       As indicated above, many people are at a particularly tender point where they are rethinking many aspects of their lives, including the spiritual implications of their current circumstances. So, the question is, “How has this situation affected the way you look at God?” What a great opening! Many people are asking themselves that very question. Their response will give you a window into where they are spiritually and potentially lead to a meaningful conversation.

As we continue to walk through the pandemic and its aftermath, let’s keep looking for creative ways to address the needs of those around us in whatever realms we can, both the tangible and the spiritual.