HOPE TRIUMPHS

THE PANDEMIC OF FEAR

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By REVEREND TONY ZEKVELD

This pandemic has been going on for a long time. For over a year. People have become weary.

Worse yet, they are driven by fear. Perhaps you may disagree with me, but I would say the pandemic is one of fear, more so than one of Covid. 

The pandemic of fear has its many casualties. Long and severe lockdowns and restrictions are one of the major casualties. Has it stopped the spread of the virus?  

Another casualty is the loss of freedom. Fear leads to control and control leads to loss of our freedoms. Allow me to explain. The sense is, “We are willing to have you control us in order to keep us safe. And for our safety we are willing to surrender our freedoms”. 

But are we really living if we live in fear and isolation? In his article, Cancelling Love in the Name of Love, Leithart writes, “Our streets have been emptied. Restaurants are closed, parks and playgrounds are sealed off with police tape. Weddings and funerals are reduced... concert halls and museums vacant... For months most churches have stopped meeting, and some haven’t fully opened. We’ve operated by one great commandment: Thou shalt not feast.”

Leithart continues, “Incredibly, none of this happened because of an invasion or a military defeat. We did it to ourselves, voluntarily. Civilizations are soundscapes, filled with the clatter of work, laments for the dead, the laughter of weddings. We shut down civilization. We silenced ourselves.”

He speaks so much truth into the situation. “We had to shut everything down to preserve life. There is no wealth but life, and even if we have to lose everything to survive, it’s worth it.”

I have to say this article had a big impact on me. The author doesn’t deny the reality of the virus, but in our response to it, he says, “we sacrificed life to preserve life. In the name of love, we cancelled love”.

Instead of running to God, and finding our refuge in Christ, we have run into our isolated spaces. Instead of living in love, we are living in fear. Instead of freedom, slavery.

By believing in Christ, He frees us from fear and slavery. We can then say, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear...” (Psalm 46:1-2). Instead of saying “Stay safe”, we may now say, “Live boldly”. 

Reverend Tony Zekveld can be reached at 416-740-0543 and tzekveld@primus.ca. If you would like to learn more about Hope Academy, feel free to visit www.hope-academy.ca.