Love First Podcast Episode 3: What to do when you don't know what to do with Thomas Nybo

On the front end of the coronavirus, many denied it would happen. Now we realize it’s real, it’s dangerous and its impact is overwhelming. Think about a video of a tsunami – from a distance the wave doesn’t seem that big. But as it gets closer, it leads to destruction. Today, we see how serious the virus is.

When we were asked to take measures at first it seemed doable because it would only be temporary. College students asked to extend their spring break, high school students taking online classes, parents becoming homeschool teachers – what was just going to be for a short while has now become longer term. Employees who first had hours cut are now being laid off, companies closing their doors.

We started making adjustments. But over time, those adjustments start to take a toll. Now we don’t know what we will need to change or for how long. Sometimes, we also are unsure if the adjustments we’re making are good to make. This is why community matters. Sometimes we need to reach out and ask others for advice. We need others, and others need us: the gifts we each have can help each other.

We see this example of community in the early church. In Acts 16, Luke writes that one of the apostles’ plans was to travel to Asia Minor, but the Holy Spirit said no and stopped them. Then the apostle Paul had a vision in which he saw a man from Macedonia asking him to come and share the gospel with the Greeks. So, Paul and his companions travel further west and end up in Europe – which is how the Western world heard the gospel. That adjustment was vital to the spreading of the gospel. But take note – Paul shared his vision with the community, and they made the decision together. Even though the vision was to Paul from God, the community made the decision together.

Acts 16: 9-10 (NLT)
9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

Think about this in light of coronavirus. Taking care of me and taking care of you are not competing values. We have to do this together. The togetherness starts in our homes, apartment complexes, neighborhoods, states, regions, etc. It is going to take all of us working together.

When we get to the other side of coronavirus, do we want to get back to normal? Or do we want to be better?! Think about this: lower levels of pollution, more people exercising, more neighbors talking to each other, people doing millions of random acts of kindness. During this time, we have reignited practices that we want to continue.

So, what do you do when you don’t know what to do? Well, sometimes you just do.

Do what you should have been doing before this. Take care of life, but also take care of life after life. If you haven’t given your life to Jesus, or it’s been awhile since you’ve asked God for a new relationship – do it now. And if you need to mend relationships with parents, children or siblings – take care of that now.
Do what’s doable even if it’s brand new to you. Take the time to learn something new. Get out of your comfort zone.
Support the good that is being done by others. Even if you don’t agree fully with the person, the leader or policymaker, realize that supporting the good they are doing for the community, state or country, doesn’t mean you are giving up your integrity or giving someone a blanket endorsement.

In an interview with Thomas Nybo, who is on assignment with UNICEF on Democratic Republic of Congo, he shares his experience and encourages us to find ways to help others.

What do we do when don’t know what to do? Like King Jehoshaphat, we turn our eyes to God.

2 Chronicles 20:12 (NLT)
“12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

Questions:

How do we “love first” during social or physical distancing?

During this time, showing people we care takes innovation and some adjustment, but there are a number of things you can do. Some suggestions include:

Call those who are sick or shut in. You can call the hospital and be connected to a patient’s room, or call their cell phones. You can also reach out to assisted living centers and set up calls with residents.
Provide food and meals for neighbors, families in need, etc. and drop it off for them.
Provide supplies on your front porch. Some of our church families have been pick up locations for communion supplies.
Some food co-ops have been willing to have a neighborhood come together to place orders – with the money you save order a little more to bless another family.

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