A Mom's Perspective on COVID-19
Both as someone who lived in China during the SARS-CoV
outbreak of 2003 and as a mom to children with an underlying medical condition
that makes them vulnerable to respiratory complications, the unfolding news
about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) catches my attention. When I read in
the CDC report, “It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of
COVID-19 in the U.S. will occur,” I join moms around the globe in concern for
their families.[1] In the face of unknowns and uncertainties, Peter’s pastoral
words to women seem particularly relevant, “Do good and do not fear anything
that is frightening” (1 Peter 3:6).
Peter wrote these words to women who understood persecution
and suffering, who lived in uncertain times. He points them to the example of
Sarah, a woman commended for her faith in God (Hebrews 11:11). While
acknowledging the existence of “frightening things,” he tells these women, “do
not fear” and “do good.”
The world is full of frightening things that include diseases like
COVID-19 as well as cancer and the flu. Tears, sleepless nights, blood
sugar checks, wheelchairs, hearing loss, allergy appointments, genetic
conditions, empty wombs, and deaths in the womb remind us that we live in a
fallen world. Every mother since Eve feels the impact and weight of parenting
in a sin-torn land, one which affects
her and each of her children.
But while we acknowledge frightening things, we don’t have
to be afraid of them. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us how Jesus crushed our true
enemy:
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Yes, there are frightening things in our world, but Jesus’
finished work on the cross set us free from the fear they ultimately point
to—the fear of death. Instead of feeling overrun by fear (and the anxiety that
often travels with it), we confess it and remember the gospel. We take refuge in
God, the one who can deliver his followers from the “deadly pestilence” (Psalm 91:3),
while also remembering that for believers, “to live is Christ, and to die is
gain” (Philippians 1:21).
And then we do good to our families and others. With
COVID-19, doing good to our children might mean stocking up on some items and making wise choices
about where we go and what we do—or even staying home. Doing good to others might mean sharing with neighbors or helping elderly friends.
Whatever happens, we trust God who numbers the hairs on our
heads and the days of our lives, the one who knows us by name. God is with us,
and he promises never to leave or forsake us. We put our hope in him.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
You can follow Katie Faris on Facebook and Instagram or learn more about her book Loving My Children: Embracing Biblical Motherhood here.
You can follow Katie Faris on Facebook and Instagram or learn more about her book Loving My Children: Embracing Biblical Motherhood here.