Climate Change, the Pandemic and Christ

I have to shift, for one day, away from the sovereignty of God to write this longer blog post.

This morning an article flashed across my Alexa screen (that's looks more odd writing it than saying it). Nonetheless, the title of the article was "How Climate Change Has Impacted the Pandemic." For whatever reason specific thoughts came, instantly, to my mind. Now, before you think this a political note, let me put you at ease and say it is not. When I read the title, what came to my mind was this title: “How the climate change of our souls impacts the pandemic of sin in our lives.

Think about that. The thought is that the change in climate has somehow impacted the severity of disease in our country and the world. Perhaps this is true, but I have no way of knowing this since I am ignorant on the issue of climate change. However, what I do know is that spiritual climate in and around our souls has everything to do with the severity of the expression of the pandemic of sin in and around us. The pandemic of sin becomes more severe and numerous in its expression when we ignore the subtle climate changes in our souls. Those subtle changes may be things like ignoring time in the Word. One missed day does not feel that bad. Then, two days is noticeable but, there's still tomorrow, right? Then tomorrow becomes next week, next month and even next year! Or, perhaps, the change comes in those moments of denying the Lord in points of morality or emotional stability. Whatever the change is it creates an incitement of sin.

It is not that we don't see these small changes. It is not, at times, that we fail to see them even as detrimental to our spiritual well-being. The problem lay in the fact that we do not see, because we cannot see, the major catastrophe that such small denials lead to. Just like climate change. I think what we fail to see is that our denial of the Lord in one area has the power to shift the spiritual change in climate in other (all?) areas. John Owen spoke of the interconnectedness of sin. That truth that all sin, whatever its expression may be, are all related in their animus against the glory of God. Sin works together and as a team to destroy the reflection of the glory of God in His image bearers.

We have seen some of its affects over time, but we chalk it up to an abnormal summer or a mild winter, etc. We do that because, in some ways, our minds do not want to face or deal with the inevitable. We would rather minimize the slight denials rather than to kill them. When we do this the pandemic erupts! Indifference becomes denial and denial becomes out-right rebellion. Then we wonder, "How did I get here?" or "How was I capable of such sin? The answer lay in the fact that the climate of our soul was changing, and we did not fight it. I don't know if the severity of sicknesses is due to climate change but what I do know is that the severity of sin is directly related to climate change of the soul!

We have all mourned what we have discovered about famed apologist, Ravi Zacharias's life - his double life! We are traumatized because it is hard for us to believe that such a gifted and wise man could be so ungodly, for so long, almost to the end even while on his death bed. It the answer simply sin? In some ways yes. But it has deeper implications and layers. Such failure is due to a life that cultivated a heart that became numb to the evidence of climate change in the soul. None of us, however, are outside the danger zone of moral failure and bankruptcy. If we even have the inclination that we are or might be we prove that climate change is taking place within us.

While sickness impacts everyone there are some whose immune systems fight off viruses even when they, themselves, cannot. There has been much talk about the gut microbiome and the need for healthy immune systems. Yet, to have a healthy immune system demands that we do some work, now, so that when the climate changes, we have prepared ourselves for the fight. To build our spiritual immune systems will take several disciplines. These disciplines are not novel or highlight sophisticated in their expression. They are the prescription for souls that have proven medicinally powerful for millennia. Those disciplines are: Word, prayer and, in a powerful way, community.

It is clear that steady, consistent and transformative time in the Word is crucial for dealing with the disease of sin that seeks to terrorize our souls. David says it this way

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9)

Prayer is, without a doubt, crucial to keeping our minds and our hearts in the realm of God's power and purposes. Jesus, speaking of this communal aspect of our lives says

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4)

But we neglect, for too much, a most powerful place of transformation and health. This is found in spiritual community. The role that biblical community plays in our spiritual immunity in enormous and when we discover and practice this we will find our immune system growing stronger. I want to give one verse that makes this point in Hebrews 3:12

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God."

Time will not allow for a full exploration of this verse but let me sum it up this way. It is clear that our discernment of sin in us is not as strong as others seeing sin in us. The call is to the entire church, therefore, to care for one another in such a way that sin does not create a stronghold and so lead some to defect from the Lord. Notice that the writer speaks to the possibility of climate change within the soul with the phrase "leading you to fall away from the living God."

Sinful pandemics happen when we are led by sin into deeper disunity with God. When this spiritual climate change is taking place the health of our spiritual immunity to fight off sin is not ourselves. It is certainly, never, by ourselves. The way we develop healthy soul immune systems is by letting in medicine that we tend to not like. It does not taste good and it is often strong going down through the system. But it works and is necessary for our healing. Much of our climate change happens when we disconnect from the healthy inspection of the body - those given to us for our spiritual good, but often give medicine that is, initially tart or bitter to the taste. Its impact, however, has eternal implications.

I stated earlier that I am ignorant of the issue of climate change. Well, that is not quite true, but it is close to being true. I must hasten to add that, sadly, I am also ignorant of climate change in myself. There are always explanations for the changing patterns of weather just as there are always plenty of explanations for the changing patterns of my own behavior. Therefore, I cannot trust myself. I cannot trust the little knowledge I have about climate change in my life because I am inclined to miss the small things that, piled up, become moral catastrophes

I don't know if climate change has impacted or influenced the pandemic of COVID, but I do know that spiritual climate change influences the pandemic expression of sin in our souls. Let's build healthy, spiritual, immune systems, together.