A note from Executive Director Bill Russell

These are troubling times. Having a pandemic circling around us tempts us to either live in fear, or to hide our heads in the sand. Neither temptation is good. When we are troubled, we need to turn to Jesus.  In John 14:1 Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

We face the issue of housing high-risk residents in LifeChange. We consider the implications of hosting homeless guests at our dayroom or visiting them in camps with our Search + Rescue teams. Therefore, we face a double-bind. Do we run away from our calling to a safe and sanitary distance? Or do we imitate Christ-followers in eras past who ran to trouble, putting themselves at risk to do the will of God?

The courage of Christians throughout history demonstrate a pattern of direct ministry in the face of epidemics.

Eusebius wrote in his book, ‘The Church History,’ that during the plague:

All day long some of them [the Christians] tended to the dying and to their burial, countless numbers with no one to care for them.  Others gathered together from all parts of the city a multitude of those withered from famine and distributed bread to them all.

Even the great theologian John Calvin took action during a plague:

During Calvin’s ministry, Geneva was terrorized by the plague on five occasions. During the first outbreak, in 1542, Calvin personally led visitations into plague-infected homes. Knowing that this effort likely carried a death sentence, the city fathers intervened to stop him because of their conviction that his leadership was indispensable. The pastors continued this heroic effort under Calvin’s guidance, and they recounted the joy of multiple conversions. Many pastors lost their lives in this cause. Unknown to many, Calvin privately continued his own pastoral care in Geneva and other cities where the plague raged. Calvin’s pastoral heart, already evidenced by the provision of hospitals for both citizens and immigrants, was further revealed as he collected the necessary resources to establish a separate hospital for plague victims. When believers died, he preached poignant funeral homilies with passion and personal concern. (John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Discipleship, ed. Burk Parsons [Lake Mary, Fla.: Reformation Trust, 2008], 65)

We are praying for wisdom, protection and courage. Please pray for us. We have our eyes wide open and we are looking to do the will of God!