My first thought is to parents and those who are afraid. Your fear is legitimate, and it is something to wrestle with directly in prayer, in conversation, and in action (at some point we must disconnect from instant media, especially in a moment of great fear). As I hit “publish” I’m then going to unplug (you heard it here first) while I go get my kids from school and hear from them about what it was like today.

My way of falling into this hole, both because of how I view the world and because of my role as pastor, is to try to help.

I’ll keep it brief and let you read the things I have been reading if you want. Last week I read a long article from a pastor in Hong Kong both about dealing with widespread sickness and doing so with a church in mind. It’s long, but very Gospel centered and thoughtful. Also, he has been through seasons like the one we are now going through multiple times.

Andy Crouch is a brilliant reporter, writer and musician. He summarizes both a lot of the thoughts in the above-referenced article, and the reality for Christians in terms of engagement and the hope we have as agents of the love of Jesus. It is for “Christian Leaders“, but the way he frames both the cultural moment and the opportunity for Christians is spot on.

And finally, I really like Sally Lloyd-Jones. I do not think she is the best children’s author about the Old Testament in light of Jesus. I think she is the best author about the the Old Testament in light of Jesus. I have given away more copies of her books than probably any other. She wrote a nice piece for parents about speaking with their kids about our current moment.