How Are We Doing?

Jesus told us in John chapter 16 that would would encounter trouble in this world - but He desires for us to look to Him and recognize that He gives us the power to overcome, to walk in triumph even in
difficulty. 1st Peter 4 states:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

The possibility of a worldwide virus did not come as a surprise to our God.  And, in the midst of trying times, we can know that He is at work.  We are seeing signs that He is bringing people together, that people are motivated to do compassionate work, and that His name is being glorified. Trouble can force us to look outside ourselves for help and develop a dependence on the One Who has made us; He has not deserted us, He is with us, and we can cry out to Almighty God.

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In Romans 12, we can see a template for compassionate, Christ-centered response in the actions in
which we participate. We can read:
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

So, how are we as a society collectively doing regarding the Coronavirus - not necessarily the health statistics, because those findings are literally all over the map, as federal, state, and local governments are laying out their plans and health professionals are assertively testing and determining who has the virus, how to treat them, and how to keep the disease from spreading.  And, we are seeing some positive cooperative efforts.

Well, there are some researchers at the University of Southern California that have taken the temperature of the behavioral nature of U.S. response, and the results are encouraging. One of the study leaders, Daniel Bennett, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, said, according to the Mercury News: “A majority of people are mobilizing,” adding, “People are taking action but we could be doing more.”

The article says:

Overall, 85% of those questioned in the USC poll said they have been washing their hands or using hand sanitizer more frequently because of the coronavirus, and 61% said they have been practicing some kind of “social distancing” to help reduce their risk of infection.

That included 45% who said they have been avoiding contact “with people who could be high risk,” and 42% who said they have avoided large crowds and public events.

Almost 1-in-5 Americans have begun to work from home in response to the crisis.

Regarding emotional responses to the threat of the virus, the article relates:

Asked how often they have felt “nervous, anxious or on edge” because of the outbreak, 24% of Americans said they have felt that way on several days, while 7% said they have during more than half the days, and 7% said they have everyday. Another 61% said they have not felt that way.

And, almost half of those surveyed indicated a belief in prayer as an effective way to respond. The findings showed that 33% of those surveyed rated prayer as a "extremely effective method" and 16% said it was "somewhat effective."

We can continue to make it our aim during this unprecedented time in American history to make sure that we are acting as the people of God should - we are called to respond Biblically to the events that occur in this world.  This includes prayer and adopting a mindset of faith, rooted in God's Word.  And, we can make sure that we are being compassionate toward those around us.  We can also demonstrate good citizenship.

We can also develop a sense of confidence that our preventive actions are producing positive consequences.  We can make sure that we respond boldly and realize that what each of us do can make a difference.  Practical, inspired action can produce an effective result.