By Dr. Johan Tredoux – Uncommon Community

This morning I did rounds with the trauma doctors as part of an interdisciplinary team for ICU here at Research Medical Center. This is part of my morning routine as a Chaplain at a Level I Trauma Center. The ER and ICU are my assigned units…this will also be where patients who have tested positive for the Coronavirus will receive their treatment. Because of confidentiality restrictions, this is about all I can say. I’m sharing this to let you know that I am writing as someone who is on the frontline of dealing with the pandemic sweeping our world. If you are wondering whether I along with everyone on the medical team are going to be okay, the short answer is yes. RMC has been in preparation for the likelihood of a peak in patients for the last three weeks. Example: Starting today, no visitors will be allowed at RMC (with a few exceptions).

Part of my training as a chaplain is to assess if the crisis the patient is experiencing has disrupted his/her emotional and spiritual equilibrium. It requires good listening skills to see if there are any life-limiting aspects to the patient’s story. As I apply the same listening skill to our general public, I am sensing that our collective skyrocketing anxiety in the midst of this pandemic is rooted in fear, and who’s to blame anyone?  So many unknowns, widespread financial impact, and talk of death.

Of course, the most important way to address our life-limiting fear is to know that we are not alone in this crisis and that Christ’s Spirit is our helper. We know the Holy Spirit is at work by these truths:

• The Holy Spirit always produces clear thinking, rational judgment, sharp self-awareness, the ability to discriminate, and the power to make difficult choices. The counterfeit-spirit, in turn, lowers ego-consciousness, with the result that it relaxes the motor and thought control. (Believe me, now is not the time to lower thought control.)
• The Holy Spirit stimulates a strong desire to learn, whereas the counterfeit-spirit fears learning and only wants to tap the magic source of psychic power, which bypasses thinking. (This especially shows up when people get superstitious during a crisis.)

I hear voices that characterize this virus, “God is trying to get our attention,” or “God is trying to teach us a lesson.” As I stay alert with a clear mind – evidence of the Holy Spirit at work – I understand that these views posture a punishing God somewhere up in the sky. These words are coming from pulpits everywhere, or, now, even online from pastor’s living rooms. Other voices ask, “Why is God allowing this to happen?” These voices portray God as someone who could do something about this pandemic but chooses not to, instead, allowing death and illness and standing idly by without even lifting a finger. Honestly, it is hard for me to reconcile thoughts like this with a loving God – remember, rational judgment is another help from the Holy Spirit.

Rather, a discriminating mind understands that God loves all of us and works with us in the struggle to overcome this virus. God needs dedicated scientists to come up with a vaccine and treatment. He needs honest leaders to lead our states and cities to help us make good decisions. He needs us to be smart and listen to the experts who are trained in crisis response. This love of God is not coercive; rather, getting past this crisis and creating a better future is a cooperative venture between us and God.

Believing in superstition or a punishing God is not going to get us anywhere, but it is evidence of the counterfeit spirit. The truth from the Holy Spirit is that God permeates our broken world enabling us to love each other and to help each other. This means sitting on a couch for a while is an act of love. Cooperating with our leaders is an act of love. Containing our gathering is an act of love. Even experiencing a negative impact to our finances is an act of love. Sharing what we have with others who have less especially now is also an act of love.

May love have its way with us….

Photo by David Veksler on Unsplash