By Pastor Alex Mareniuc

It was around 3 months ago that China informed the World Health Organisation that they have identified a new virus that has been passed on to humans from animals. The Chinese authorities were reporting every day an increase in the number of infections. They locked down cities, then entire regions, and more and more stringent measures were being announced every day in their fight with this new coronavirus. 

The UK is 5,000 miles away from China and our attitude changed from “It’s their problem, no big deal, flu is worse” to “We need to stay in our homes because the virus is on our doorstep and many will lose their life before their time”.

At the beginning of the year we could not predict that something like this will happen. And even when it started spreading, in our perceived reality we were living under the impression that we are untouchable. But reality is more volatile than we are willing to accept. Shops have closed, businesses have closed, even churches have now closed. What are we supposed to do? What is real anymore?

2,000 years ago Jesus’ disciples also needed to go through a reality-checking exercise. One day they went with Jesus to the temple and as they were coming out and his disciples were pointing him the buildings of the temple, Jesus gives them the bad news that everything they are proud of and their perceived reality will be shattered. Even their precious temple – the symbol of their security and certainty that God is with them, will not be there forever.

They were visibly dismayed. But Jesus’ message was not meant to make them feel distressed about the present or the future. It was supposed to help them understand that whatever we might think about our life and our world, we are not in control and cannot trust human beings or human authorities to keep the universe in a perfect balance. That’s why Jesus had to die on the cross and return to heaven to prepare a place for us so that we can have the hope that even when things get really ugly here on Earth, God is working on bringing us home, and that might happen sooner than we think.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:1-3 (NRSV)

As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

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