The old Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared,” is sage advice, especially in crisis, but how do you prepare for something you don’t know to expect?
I took a class during my second year of seminary entitled, “How to Pastor During a Pandemic.” Okay, that’s not true. Actually, there were no classes addressing community crises, and there is no secret clergy instruction book for ministry in these situations. Of course, there is no such class or book for teachers, restaurant owners, and grocery stores. Most of us outside the medical community are learning as we go, and considering the nature of the new virus, I can only imagine healthcare workers have a learning curve as well.
How do you live ready for a global crisis? I am sure there are numerous websites that would confidently declare their protocols, and there are general government guidelines, but each situation is unique and people are unpredictable. In our current situation, mass purchases of hand sanitizer and cleaning products are not surprising, but most of us were not prepared for a toilet paper shortage. Life is surreal at the moment.
There are many things we can do to prepare for life’s uncertainties, but, as our current situation shows us, things change, and our best efforts to prepare our homes and family, our finances and our pantry, even our thoughts and emotions, may still leave us surprised. The world is ever changing and despite our best efforts, we will never have enough to control it. Control is an illusion. It is never fully in our hands, and lack of control can lead to denial or great fear.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are reminded, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Here is our preparation, and here is our peace. We have divine power, not to control, but to walk in faith and confidence. We are given holy love for ourselves and others to provide care, compassion, and support in challenging times. Above all, we have the mind of Christ which gives us peace and perspective.
I want to know what the days ahead will bring. I imagine we all do, but that knowledge is beyond our grasp, and trying to fully control our future removes us from the present and fills us with anxiety. The more we seek to control, the greater our fear. The more we surrender control, living by faith in the moment, the more we can embrace the Spirit, and the holy preparedness that dwells within us.
We should make wise choices, not living arrogantly or foolishly, but we should also trust that God prepares us to face each moment. As we do, our eyes are opened with compassion for the world around us, and we are able to dwell by faith in the moment we are given.
May you have the power, love, and sound mind the Spirit gives you. May you see yourself, your family, and the world through Jesus’s eyes. May you live prepared as you open yourself to God and to the world. We do not know the future, but we know by faith, that we are prepared.
