Day by Day: March 22, 2020

Sunday, March 22, 2020. This was a special day. The first Sunday where it seemed everyone we knew both in Chile and the United States was "attending" church from their living room via online services. Personally, we were very blessed by the caring and careful planning of the pastors from our sending church in Lapeer who prepared various videos and e-mailed an order of service to all the church members. With the help of a Kindle fire stick, some printed lyrics and a cell phone we followed along through the call to worship, pastoral prayer, Bible reading, songs of worship and Pastor Ross' sermon on the crucifixion of Christ and the beauty of our Savior whose concern even in the most crushing and painful moments of His life on earth, was for His people. I shed tears at various times from sheer gratitude at the grace of receiving pastoral ministry to our family even across such a great distance. Both Pedro and I were encouraged by our children's singing and attention to the service. I felt profoundly grateful remembering the visiting team from First Baptist last year and particularly the connection it created for our children with Pastor Ross, which was evident in their attitudes today. 

After the first service, Isabel wished to watch the sermon from Grace Baptist of Lancaster where my parents attend and where we put down roots on our last furlough. It was again an encouragement to see Pastor Greg and hear his challenge to serve others and not ourselves. His message was practical and convicting for such a time as this! Another message I listed to was our colleague Jon Spink's devotional directed to the south side Iglesia Bautista Fe church plant, and his wife Kim's encouraging thoughts for the ladies. We had a fairly quiet afternoon with a takeout meal of Chinese food to support another family-run business. This family is actually Taiwanese and their oldest son is currently in Minnesota on a student visa, stranded far from home and loved ones as classes are suspended and the COVID-19 crisis runs its course. In the course of the afternoon I checked Facebook and found myself weeping for missionary colleagues choosing to remain in their field of service as we have, but whose lives are apparently in such greater jeopardy due to their limited physical resources in a third world country where they pour themselves out in a small medical clinic and seminary.

At 7 PM, we made our first attempt at a virtual Bible study with the few individuals besides ourselves who make up the fledgling Iglesia Bautista Grace y Verdad church plant on the third floor of FLORECE. We had invited a couple of other friends to join us but discovered to our dismay that the WhatsApp group video chat only allows four phones to be connected. This caused some scrambling but everyone was good humored as we figured things out. Perhaps next week we will try untangling Zoom's kinks (this week two of our number were unable to log in properly.) As simple a connection as it was, my heart was blessed to see and hear from Maithe, Yessica and Cata for the hour we gathered together. Afterwards, the Fishers invited us to their home for freshly baked sweet treats: chocolate chip bars, Lithuanian apple cake, and chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies (the latter by Owen.) We watched the time carefully as today was the first night of our 10 PM - 5 AM curfew enforced by the Chilean military. While we were together, reports came in of the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Iquique. True to fashion as has been the case particularly in the past year of bitter division in Chile, harsh words and accusations quickly began to fly over Twitter and WhatsApp as the man's personal information was disseminated and it appeared probable he had lacked care and placed multiple other people potentially in harm's way. Iquique's proud status as the only region without confirmed cases crumbled and fears emerged. I stumbled upon convicting words written by a woman named Sarah Bourns and shared nearly 3,000 times on Facebook which summarized everything so well.

We’ve all been exposed.Not necessarily to the virus(maybe...who even knows🤷🏼‍♀️).We’ve all been exposed BY the virus.

Corona is exposing us.Exposing our weak sides.Exposing our dark sides.Exposing what normally lays far beneath the surface of our souls,hidden by the invisible masks we wear.Now exposed by the paper masks we can’t hide far enough behind.

Corona is exposing our addiction to comfort.Our obsession with control.Our compulsion to hoard.Our protection of self. 

Corona is peeling back our layers.Tearing down our walls.Revealing our illusions.Leveling our best-laid plans.

Corona is exposing the gods we worship:Our healthOur hurryOur sense of security.Our favorite liesOur secret lustsOur misplaced trust.

Corona is calling everything into question:What is the church without a building?What is my worth without an income?How do we plan without certanty?How do we love despite risk? 

Corona is exposing me.My mindless numbingMy endless scrollingMy careless wordsMy fragile nerves. 

We’ve all been exposed.Our junk laid bare.Our fears made known.The band-aid torn.The masquerade done. 

So what now? What’s left?Clean handsClear eyesTender hearts. 

What Corona reveals, God can heal.

Come Lord Jesus.Have mercy on us.

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Tomorrow begins a new week. I do not know what it holds, but I do know Who holds it. And for that I am so grateful.