It's the #1 topic of conversation nation-wide right now, so let's make use of the silver platter we're being given. Here are a few of my thoughts - add yours in the text below.

My Familiarity

I've done an incredible amount of research on all of this. How could I not? It's affecting virtually every aspect of my life and I want to know why.

Here's my foundation. I have a degree (college minor) in statistical methodology, as well as a major in pre-med, which helps me evaluate the validity of what I read on the internet. I have family, friends, and clients who are significantly involved in the health care industry aspect of this. For example, my mother is a medical lab technician whose job is to test people for this and other issues. I also have a client who is an owning/managing partner in 3 different hospitals. I also have a friend from church who owns his own private medical practice. I have consulted with some of these people in formulating my opinion and evaluating what I read online about this.

Is this all legit or over-blown?

My short answer: I don't know. I'm okay with not knowing. That's right, even having access to top-tier information and being educationally qualified to formulate a reliable opinion doesn't actually mean I know what the heck is going to happen any better than the next guy. Here's where I lean, but I'm ready to admit if I'm proven wrong.

  • I do believe the concerns about the virus itself are overblown. I do believe the risks to most of us are very low. The death projections are great scare-tactics that boost readers/viewers/listeners and make people money, but if you look at the actual demographics of deaths relative to age or those with/without pre-existing conditions you realize that the rate of death for those under the age of 70 with no pre-existing conditions is so low that I'm not rationally worried about most of you. Of course, this doesn't mean we don't care about those who actually are high-risk. It just means we put the death risk in perspective of the many other death risks and how they fare to those of similar demographics.

  • Knowing all of the statistics, my guess is that most of you should be less worried about contracting the virus itself and more worried that if you get into a car accident, or your kid falls down the stairs, or your wife goes psycho and stabs you with a knife, you're not going to have a hospital bed available because they'll be full up with people who think their mediocre symptoms are the coronavirus ... or, in worst-case scenarios, the hospital is full-up with actual patients who aren't super-likely to die, but who appropriately warrant medical quarantine and treatment.

  • I don't think the concerns about the impact this will have on the economy are overblown. I have already been predicting a sharp decline in the market even before the coronavirus started tanking things. We were in the best economic boom since the roaring 20s, which was immediately followed by the great depression. The only difference now is that because of the widespread panic and lockdowns, the traditional forms of stimulating the economy are unavailable, which I expect will result in a harder crash than anyone would anticipate. My greatest hope here is that the effect of the coronavirus on the economy stabilizes before the natural economic depression would hit.

  • Along with the previous point, I'm very concerned that the substantial closures nation-wide will put numerous small businesses out completely, resulting in huge drains on social welfare programs (social security, unemployment, fradulent claims being filed for things like worker's comp, etc.). This will likely result in artificial inflation (i.e. printing more money to meet the demand) that will reduce the value of the dollar. Given that China has already stabilized the impact of the coronavirus in their country, this will really give them an edge over America in the world economy and it will take a very long time to regain our foothold. More significantly, the dependence on social welfare programs will also increase the nation's reliance on government aid, further forcing us toward the inevitability of socialism over capitalism in America (the one hope being that the survivability of big business will give them enough of a foothold to fight against the increased dependence on governmental assistance in order to maintain some balance toward capitalism).

Rather than giving an exhaustive list, that should stimulate conversation on a number of angles.

How should a Christian respond in such times?

I've heard a number of proposed responses.

  • Fear Gospel: One camp suggests we should use the fear as a tool to scare people into Jesus' promises of protection and provision. Of course, nobody would openly admit this is their intent, but the pragmatic reality of some of the evangelistic models I'm seeing make clear that this is what's actually going on. There's merit to this. Jesus used preaching of hell and the apocalypse as a means to call people to repentance. I'm not past this, but it's not my personal style.

  • Love and Service: Another camp suggests we should just show acts of love and service to the community through widespread communal programs. Start a food drive for those families out of work who need to feed their kids. Donate to the homeless shelters that are likely going to get an influx of residents. Etc. This response, of course, ignores the evangelistic value in favor of building congregational rapport with the community. The effect, in my view, is more likely to lead to an increase in a congregation's brand recognition in the community more than it actually results in people being led to Christ.

  • Mystical Bubble: A third camp offers a mystical faith, churchy-bubble approach: devote yourself even more to God and studying the Bible and prayer and he'll protect you so you have nothing to worry about. Just shun the evil world and trust the angel of death to pass by your doorframe.

  • Wisdom: Perhaps a more balanced approach comes from those who suggest, quite simply, to trust God, whatever the results, while being wise in the way we express that trust. These people suggest that "wisdom" means taking appropriate precautions to protect yourself and your family, while making use of the few opportunities that do arise for spreading the Gospel. Many proponents of this view seem to be taking it too far to the extent that the Gospel is neglected entirely because "wisdom" would dictate that one must keep themselves safe in order to live to share the Gospel another day. But the death stats on the coronavirus don't support that conclusion, and both Jesus and the apostles, among man, many others, have modeled for us that it is better to risk your life for the sake of the Gospel than to play it safe. Remember that Epaphroditus "almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me" (Philippians 2:30).

There is some merit to each of these (and many more that I haven't listed). Personally, I think it's absurd to assume that if you have enough faith God will protect you. There are numerous examples of Christians in deadly situations that God chose not to protect. Most of the apostles were martyred. Stephen was stoned. Epaphroditus was ill and almost died - and to a degree that in Philippians 2 Paul, who had healed many people, was worried over his death. Sometimes God allows his most faithful followers to fall victim to these types of things. We have to be okay with that. But there is also some basis for recognizing the significant influence God has given to such things as prayer, fasting, corporate petition, and devotion to the mission he has given us.

Notice, of course, that most of the people who receive the strongest blessings in Scripture, amidst their troubles, are people who were 100% sold-out and committed to the mission God had given them. Are you?

So, how SHOULD a Christian respond to all of this? By remaining committed to the mission of making disciples, regardless the circumstances, yet being wise in the way we leverage the cultural situation for getting the Gospel into people's heads and hearts. How do we do this? Cue ...

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

As a Believer

Social distancing is pretty much the exact opposite of the relational disciple-making model Jesus presented to us. It makes it even harder to invite those into the Kingdom who really need Jesus now more than ever. So, here's my solution for using the current crisis to deepen relationships rather than losing them to social distancing, and simultaneously drawing people toward Christ.

  • Do what you want to do. That's right. If you want to go to the grocery store, go to the grocery store. If you want to lock yourself in your house, lock yourself away. If you want to go for a walk in the park, go for that walk. If you want to participate in a community service event through your church, you go help those people!

  • When you go out, double-purpose for your neighbor. If you're going to the grocery store, text your neighbor: "I'm headed to the store. Is there anything I can pick up for you so you don't have to risk going out yourself?" Or if you're going on that walk, "I'm heading out of the house for a bit. Anything you're curious about that you want me to keep an eye on?" Yes, participating in community-wide outreach and service events are nice, but they won't build relationships toward the Gospel the same way this approach will.

  • When you stay in, stay in touch. If you feel confident in not being infected, now is the easiest time to have an excuse to ask your neighbor to watch that Netflix show you've been planning on binge-watching. Just make sure to stay 6 feet away while you watch. Alternatively, keep your distance but start a text chain with a few of your neighbors/co-workers/friends that you wouldn't normally text. You now have a GREAT conversation starter that everyone is interested in discussing. Make use of it.

  • Stay positive. While many people in the world are plagued with fear, your positive frame will be incredibly attractive and reassuring to them. As you do some of the above with a positive attitude, your uplifting frame will rub off on them in a good way and possibly open doors to share the Gospel directly.

  • Don't jump the gun. While it may be tempting, don't force spiritual conversations just because you don't want to let this pandemic come and go without sharing the Gospel. The situation is better used to develop deeper relationships that can be the vehicle for the Gospel to thrive in another; not to use the cultural context as that vehicle, which will break down as soon as the crisis goes away.

  • Don't force your views. Some people will not agree with you. Respect the limitations of your knowledge and allow people to think for themselves. At the end of the day, I'm less concerned over whether or not someone can accurately predict what will happen with the coronavirus death numbers or the impact it will have on your nation as a whole, and far more interested in building a relational rapport with someone that can be leveraged for the Gospel later - and perhaps even sooner that you'd expect.

As a Red Pill Man

Here are a few more less (or perhaps just indirectly) spiritual things:

  • Keep having sex with your wife. Chances are, if one of you has it, the other is going to get it whether you have sex or not, so no need to back down there.

  • Keep lifting. Sure, you probably can't go to the gym, as many states have shut them down by now. But there are plenty of apps that let you use body weight. You can also cancel your gym membership for a time and redirect the funds toward some home equipment. Personally, I'm a big fan of my stationary bike, as it lets me double-task work, watching shows with my kids, etc. while continuing to burn calories and (to a lesser degree) work out my leg muscles. As far as apps go for body weight routines, I'm a fan of BodBot Personal Trainer.

  • Budget. Yes, this is very hard when grocery stores are selling out of things constantly. That just makes dieting even easier, right? Save the funds, save the calories. As for your kids, they can survive on things like oatmeal, pancakes, or peanut butter, none of which seem to be the hot sellers right now, all of which are dirt cheap. Also, now is a great time to take the financial reins in your family, if you've been letting your wife manage things. She can't go to the stores like before anyway, so take the opportunity to press the reset button rather than returning to business-as-usual when this is all over.

  • Fashion. I've failed here, but realize my need to work on this, as I write this post. It's easy to assume you can stay dressed down in lazy clothes because you're not actually likely to go in public much. But you'll be better off maintaining that higher standard. If you're working from home, dress for work anyway. If you're taking some time off, dress like you would if you have friends coming over. Maintain confidence in your appearance rather than getting lazy with it just because you have an excuse. What you do when you have excuses and cop-outs will be a good test of your character. This will show your family whether the improvements you've been making are just as show for when you're in a context to put one on, or if they're genuine internal changes that continue to apply just because YOU want to do it, not something that dies out when you have no one around to impress.

  • Pass Tests. Chances are, your wife and/or kids are at least a little nervous about everything going on. They're going to want reassurance that you know what you're doing. It's probably good at times to act like an arrogant know-it-all when poking fun, but don't forget that at some point they're going to want a serious answer that also acknowledges you can Own Your S...elf-awareness of your flaws. In times like this, it's likely not a challenge to your authority as much as it is a cry for assurances that you're competent in managing your family through this crisis.

  • Maintain Frame. This doesn't mean trying to convince everyone else you're right about everything, as if this would somehow get them into your frame (it doesn't; it's more akin to DEERing). It does mean maintaining that positive attitude I referenced above, paving your own way for managing your family that take into account information you learn, but also doesn't succumb to pressure just because someone else is doing it another way.

Feel free to add your own thoughts to any of these ideas and more. Think I'm wrong? Tell me about it. Have better ideas? I'd love to hear them. Any important information I've missed? Open our eyes.