Covid 19- Prayer or Pragmatism

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines though the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. –

Hab 3:17-18

“Prayer does nothing,” we have been told. You are just waiting for the scientists to discover the vaccine/ cure and then give credence to God. In Africa, it is becoming increasingly popular to bash anything that relates to Christianity. From the idea of enslavement to the folly of superstition, the church has found itself on the receiving end of most of the other competing worldviews. In this social media age, one only needs to attack Christianity and boom! You become an overnight sensation.

Partly I have to agree that we, the believers in Africa, are to blame for much of this taunting. We have not held to the end of our bargain. We often are quiet in the face of evil. We are vocal on the praying for disease yet on the other hand are silent when healthcare is not taken seriously. In addition, many here in Africa seem not to have a fully developed Christian worldview. Our Christianity is not felt in all the spheres of our lives. At best we are seen as having double lives. Our devotion doesn’t reflect in our practice

It is thus not a wonder that in the wake of the Corona virus (Covid 19) the church finds itself at loss. We propagate the need for prayer and then on the other hand some defy a clear directive that helps in slowing down the spread of the virus. Is this even faith? Here, I digress. In the midst of all this hubris, a more important question lingers. Can God be trusted in the face of suffering? Where was God when the virus broke out. Why doesn’t God just eradicate it once and for all. And why shouldn’t we expect this?

Hidden in all this, is a cry. A despondent cry. ‘Is there one who can help?’ Isn’t there one who can deal with all this? If He can, why isn’t he doing something. How can He be trusted? Eloi! Eloi! lama Sabachthani, Jesus cried. Even He, was looking for answers! A Cry of hopelessness. Or was it? Lo and Behold! He was quoting Psalm 22. Instead of turning from the Father, He was turning back to Him. But why? Are we safer with God than without Him? Why look to God in the face of suffering? I think, that here in Africa, we have become so accustomed to God that we never think of the implications of a life without God.  

God Legitimizes our heart questions

Real suffering often brings us to our knees. Often, we ask quite difficult questions. Most of these are heartfelt and run deep. Nevertheless, perhaps what we don’t ask is what suffering really is. Why is suffering painful? A deep look into this question reveals something that is not quite apparent. At the heart of suffering is the idea that what is happening to us is wrong and it shouldn’t be happening. But why should we feel this way? These are questions of value and worth. But if there’s no God, how are we to find value? What in the world makes us more special than animals and other beings in the universe? Take for instance the atheistic view succinctly summarized by Richard Dawkins,

“The universe we observe has … no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference. … DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is. And we dance to its music” 

If we are all machines dancing to our DNA, what does it mean when I lose a loved one? What is the problem of a machine losing another machine?

Obviously, even atheists feel the pain of suffering. I am not even claiming that those who are not Christians don’t suffer. My point is that only the Judeo-Christianity world view gives us a framework that accounts for intrinsic worth. Because we are created in the image of God, then we have intrinsic worth and value. No other world-view can accord us this. Thus, the feeling of loss and pain is grounded on the fact that our value is being violated or that we have lost something of value. Thus, instead of running from God, it is in Him that our questions actually find real meaning.

He Legitimizes our pursuits

In addition, the idea that we should alleviate our suffering and that of others needs explanation. Statements like ‘prayers do not work’ or that ‘science will help us solve our problems’ have in them the idea that our problems should be solved. But why should we think this? Now if this life is all that there is, why should we labor to deal with disease. We are all destined to die and no amount of preserving ourselves will eradicate that fact. If Covid 19 doesn’t destroy us, cancer will; if not cancer an explosion, another disease, an accident or even old age. Notice that without God, we are only postponing the inevitable. We are all destined for destruction. Anyone who claims that God is doing nothing should also tell us why something should be done

If evolution (survival for the fittest) is what has brought us here, then Covid 19 which is mainly attacking the old people is definitely a good thing. The old and weak among us are being eradicated leaving the young and strong and we, therefore, should be happy that the strong among us will survive and have a better chance of perpetuating the human race. Why would we want to circumvent the process that created us? Here the unbeliever might respond by saying that they do not need God to have meaning. Obviously, this can be true. Our pursuits can have some kind of meaningfulness relative to our context in life e.g. helping a needy child or trying to save a sick person. The problem is that ultimately, without God, these pursuits have no significance for life as a whole. All this is eventually meaningless and is just similar to not doing anything.

However, since we live in a universe with a God who is there, then it makes sense to seek solutions to men’s problems. The scriptures remind us that we are coworkers with God and have been given dominion over the created order. We are to desire God’s kingdom to reign on earth. This here, is the mindset that has driven the church throughout History. It has been in the forefront of fighting evils like disease, poverty, illiteracy and much more since it has always seen itself as a representative of God to the world. It is thus not accidental that modern science as we know it broke out in the Christian west. As CS Lewis is famously quoted

“Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator” 

Lewis, C. (1947). Miracles: A Preliminary Study. London.

God relates to our suffering

In Christianity, God never stands aloof. The scriptures encourage us that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin. – Heb 4:15

God enters into our world and suffers just like we do. It’s, therefore, not an empty platitude for Him to claim that He understands. When we ask where is God, the Christian can confidently answer that He is somewhere doing something about it. It is all a matter of time. Therein lies the real hope. The resurrection of God! He has already demonstrated that He can do it. Thus, we pray. We pray because we have hope. Real hope! Anchored in the truth: The Resurrection.

Pascal’s Wager

When the Christian seeks God, he is not offering an alternative to research, hard work or even science. The Christian only acknowledges that there are more than physical explanations to the phenomena we see. Christianity, therefore, provides a sort of two-fold pursuit to the solution of suffering. The Christian believes that God can miraculously deal with suffering and thus prays. On the other hand, he believes that God has bestowed on human beings’ wisdom to deal with the challenges of life. Here I find Pascal’s wager to be quite formidable. I.e.  If the atheist is right, the Christian is busy in the labs and hospitals seeking a cure for the disease and therefore has nothing to lose. However, if the atheist is wrong (as we believe he is), then He unlike the Christian is doomed as his hope is futile.

Christians should therefore not feel the need to choose between prayer and pragmatism. They are not mutually exclusive. We pray to a God who can walk on water but often used boats, who can heal miraculously but often uses medicine. Therefore, we will pray and self-quarantine; pray and sanitize! With us there exists no dichotomy. God is above all and overall.