One of the things that I wonder is if the coronavirus is sparking a spiritual awakening in America. Hedging my bet, my answer is a definite… “maybe.” Some churches are still closed, some are open, and online platforms (like Zoom, Facebook Live, and Youtube) are giving folks options for connecting digitally. It seems people are tuning in more than ever.  (I want you to know that I appreciate all of you tuning in for worship at Chestnut Level each Sunday, or sometime during the week).

Now it could be the ease of being able to worship while relaxing in your family room wearing pajamas, or sipping a hot cup of coffee while listening to the message. The point is, people are taking advantage of the technology available to them. But how long will it last? Do you have Zoom fatigue, or even exhaustion? How long will it be before people hit their limit, and this current spiritual awakening starts to get drowsy?

In the book, “The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy – What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous With Destiny,” generational theorists, William Strauss and Neil Howe describe the almost gravitational effects different generations have on one another. For example, as the “Greatest Generation” continues to die out, will the lessons of self-sacrifice, service and love of God, and country pass with them? Or, what will it take for current generations to relearn these important lessons? That’s where the “catalyst” event Strauss and Howe talk about in their book comes. In almost prophetic fashion, Strauss and Howe discuss how major events (Pearl Harbor, 9/11, the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008, or even now with the coronavirus pandemic) rally folks together and unite them in a common cause. They argue that the key component isn’t the “catalyst” event itself, -- but the way we react to it after the crisis passes.

So, the question is, what will the effects of the coronavirus be for us? We may be experiencing a spiritual awakening right now, which is good! But, will it last? Will we remember the lessons being learned about our need for God and the things in life that truly matter like faith, family, and friends? Or, once we’ve got a handle on things, will it be business as usual and a return to the numbing routines which defined us?

As Joshua bade farewell to the Israelites after leading them into the Promised Land, he reminded them not to forget the lessons learned in the desert, and he challenged them to remember God when daily dependence on God would begin to seem less urgent than it had been before. Joshua urged them to remember and challenged them to either choose the powerless and impotent gods their forefathers once worshiped, -- or to choose the Lord who had delivered them. Joshua said, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15).   

Eventually the smoke is going to clear. The virus is going to fade. The economy will pick back up. Folks will start hugging and eating out again. Things will be back to normal. Once again, we will find ourselves standing at the crossroads having to make a decision whether to follow the One who delivered us through His life, death and resurrection, or to forget the lessons we have learned and drowsily follow the tantalizing, but impotent idols the world offers. It will be our choice. It always is. The time will come. When it does, may we choose wisely!