I was just quarantined fourteen days due to testing positive for Covid-19. According to reports I have heard and read, my symptoms were extremely mild in comparison to most who have tested positive. Many have spent time in ICU units in hospitals, while many have lost their lives to the disease. We have been told to remain at a safe distance from others, to wear protective equipment when in close proximity to others, and stay away from others completely when possible.

Businesses were closed, church’s doors were locked, restaurant tables sat empty. Many were overwhelmed with fear, thinking that this must be the end, or at least the beginning of the end. Government mandated changes that have affected everyone to some degree. Many of those businesses that were forced to close will never recover due to financial loss due to the shut-down. Many churches are struggling due to the enforcement of guidelines limiting the number of people who could gather in one place.

Now, as if a world-wide pandemic was not enough, we are witnessing the incredible destruction being carried out in major cities across our country. We are seeing violence and devastation as what may have started as peaceful protests quickly turned to violence, rioting, physical attacks and property destruction.. The outcry is now calling for the defunding or even the demolition of police departments in cities across the land.

This has now exploded into the destruction of monuments and statues that have stood for decades. The outcry is against anything that ties our present to our past. We are hearing demands to change the names of certain brands, products, or entities that bear any resemblance to past historical events.

So, back to the question posed in the title of this blog: How, now, should we be living? To answer that question, we first of all need to be reminded that present local, national, and international events should not take anyone who believes the Bible’s teachings by surprise. Jesus spoke of how perilous life would become as we approached the time of His return. Paul gave specific details about what could be expected as we approach the end of this historical era.

And in the midst of it all, we are implored to remain faithful to the end. One of the clearest admonitions is found in the book of Revelation, where believers are told to be faithful until death. That statement could be understood in two ways: be faithful until you die; or, be faithful until your faith costs your life.

Jesus said that we are the salt and light in a world that desperately needs both. He also said that we are to be fishers of men. In the chaos and confusion of today’s world, we should be living our lives in such a way that would guide individuals from spiritual darkness to spiritual light; from degradation and decay to preserving and protecting; from drowning in a sea of spiritual, emotional, mental and physical chaos to breathing freely in the love and grace of God.

The world will try to choke the life out of us with fear, discouragement, stress, and despair. The Word of God will set us free to live life to the full – as Jesus Himself said, to live life abundantly. And, we are to do this until we die. So, let’s let our light shine before me so that they might see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.