Dear Reader, In the midst of the tragedies of this past year, perhaps the greatest challenge was being forced to walk much of it alone. Many of us have faced illness and grief while physically separated from our friends and family, and isolation has not only amplified those challenges, but become a form of suffering […]
Is God Silent on the Suffering of COVID-19?
Within the Christian tradition, the believer’s petition to God captures a promise: Ask, and it will be given to you. This pattern of call-and-response reverberates across Scripture, one of the basest chords upon which the entire harmony between God and man is built. The enslaved in Egypt, the blind man in the temple, the disciples […]
Are Churches Essential? Weighing Public Health vs. Religious Concerns
Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, many church leaders have disagreed with governing authorities and health advisors about mandated lockdown procedures. More than a few pastors have been arrested for resisting lockdown, and many health experts and officials have opposed initiatives to reopen churches. What’s the problem? Numerous church leaders have disagreed with each other and with civic […]
Dr. Douglas Heimburger: An Interview on Faith, Health, and Healthcare during the Pandemic
Transcribed and edited by Grace Liu, Andrew Warren, & Yuhang Zhang What can the COVID-19 pandemic teach us about health and healthcare? What deeper realities have been uncovered about the nature of suffering and true flourishing? How can the Christian worldview offer insight and hope in this current public health crisis? We recently spoke with […]
What We Can Learn from Christian Responses to Past Outbreaks
The word “unprecedented” has been thrown around so frequently that it is easy to think the world has never experienced disease before. However, historical outbreaks and the response of contemporary church leaders provide a remarkable precedent for us to follow. From third century plagues of the Roman Empire to the recent Ebola outbreak, spiritual leaders […]
Gratitude in the Face of Suffering
The outbreak of the coronavirus is likely the most life-altering event most of us can remember. We are generally too young to remember 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis did not affect daily life to this extreme. It has single-handedly brought the seemingly imperturbable flow of daily life to a grinding halt. Such an event […]