As I sit here today with the chickens, mulling over guitar god Eddie Van Halen, and reading various bits of his life, his story is encouraging me to ponder the church's reaction to science and the pandemic. Eddie Van Halen was known for his guitar, but he was a man who always quested for the right tool for a particular song. For him, the point was the music, so he was remarkably humble about what tools he chose. And those tools were diverse and intricate, with a much wider range than just guitars. Thinking of his tools makes me wonder whether the church as a whole truly appreciates the tools that God has given it during the pandemic. Of course churchgoers appreciate the theological tools, the men and women who provide well thought out papers arguing a particular theological point. Theology is hugely important for us as Christians. It gives us a basis for how we act, a basis for what becomes layered in our hearts. But what of the science? This is, after all, a viral pandemic, whic
The church is not a place where perfect people go to play. It is a place where hurting people go to heal. And it is filled with people charged with a specific task. What exactly IS the role of the Evangelical Church in a society struggling with a pandemic, racism, discord, and so much more? After numerous discussions with my children, I wanted to go through this logically for my own brain. I wonder sometimes, when Christians loudly proclaim their own rights to health or to certain freedoms, boldly walk into stores with or without masks, confidently go to each other's houses without practicing social distance or refuse to go anywhere, what are we trying to convey? When we talk of our rights, what do we mean? When we disagree with authorities, what is our basis? When I am angry, is it a righteous anger? What does the Bible says about this type of situation? So what are the facts exactly? Christianity, after all, is an amazingly logical religion. We are charged as Christians to