Readings for today: Joshua 3-6
“And Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever." (Josh. 4:5-7)
When you think back on your life, where have you seen God at work? Where have you seen His finger touch down? Where have you witnessed Him working a miracle on your behalf? How do you remember such things? How do you mark such occasions? Some nations build monuments. Consecrate hallowed ground. Celebrate an annual holiday. Israel built altars. They would take uncut stones and stack them together to remind themselves of God’s great faithfulness. As we get deeper into the Old Testament, it will soon feel like the landscape just gets dotted with these altars. It’s like you can’t travel anywhere in Israel without stumbling over an altar they’ve made! Altars were significant. Especially in an oral culture where many of the stories were not being written down as they happened but instead told from father to son, mother to daughter. Passing by an altar was an opportunity for the family to pause and remember and re-tell the tale of God’s great love and miraculous deliverance for His people. These altars formed something like a “scrapbook” or “Instagram” account for ancient Israel. A place they could go to be reminded of their most precious memories of God and His deliverance.
I wonder what “altars” we will build when this pandemic passes? Will we name the vaccination after the scientists who discover it? Will there be a wall with all the names of the healthcare workers who gave their lives carved in stone? Will there be special days or special seasons where we will step back to mark the time for future generations? And what about the young people living through this cultural moment? Will this be their version of the “Great Depression” or “World War 2?” Will it have that kind of profound effect on them and shape how they live their lives?
What about the church? How will she respond? Will this finally break us of our dependence on buildings and programs? Will we finally lay hold of the biblical pattern to carry out discipleship in every home? Will we stop investing so much in ourselves and instead seek to give all we have away for the sake of the world?
This feels like a paradigm-shifting moment for us all. As the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months, I don’t see us every going back to the way things were. Instead, I believe God is calling us to chart a new future. One where life truly is centered around community. Where relationships become the highest value and time the most precious currency. I believe God using this cultural moment to slow us down. To enforce a Sabbath rest. Please note, I did not say God created this virus or caused this plague to happen. COVID-19 is simply the product of a fallen world. I simply believe God’s promise from Romans 8 to use all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. That includes hardship and suffering and pain and yes, even death. For death is not the end to God but merely a new beginning. So let’s all commit to letting the old life die with all of its built in stress and anxiety and exhaustion and let’s look to God as He brings beauty from the ashes.
Readings for tomorrow: Joshua 7-10