Like many experiences of great stress in our lives, this coronavirus season will make us better Christians or worse ones, but it won’t leave us unaffected. We will either trust the Lord more or we will give fear a greater hold on our hearts. We will either press in to Jesus or we will drift further away. We will come to realize how much we need in-person Christian community or we will conclude we do just fine by tuning in occasionally online.  

So much has changed in the two weeks since I first wrote to the Diocese about the COVID-19 virus. Most of us are staying home and we watch the news in amazement at the dramatic changes unfolding around us. 

The global spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus, has become a focus of attention and concern for many of us. I have been reading extensively about it. I have consulted with diocesan leaders, including doctors and scientists with advanced degrees and expertise in virology, immunology and infectious diseases. Drawing on their wisdom, I offer these points: