Should the Pandemic Change How We Do Apologetics?
Bulletin Roundtable | Plus, Reflections on George Floyd by Naomi Noguchi Reese
Bulletin Roundtable Question
Below, three of our contributors respond to the question: Will, or should, the COVID-19 pandemic change the way we articulate and/or defend the Christian worldview?
Paul Copan
Back in 1948, C. S. Lewis gave some advice about living in “an atomic age” that readily applies to life in “a viral age,” which has been a longstanding feature of human existence. For one thing, an atomic age doesn’t alter the fact that we all will die—and more often than not, “in unpleasant ways”:
In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.*
While social-distancing and quarantining safeguards during a coronavirus outbreak may preclude “chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts,” Lewis’s advice applies to life in a viral age: we should do what we ordinarily do: “praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, [and, at an appropriate distance,] playing tennis.”
This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things . . . not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.
Because Christ came to remove from us the tyranny of the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15), we can live in confident hope, carry about our daily tasks, and selflessly serve others even in the most trying times. As gospel witnesses during a virus pandemic, we are more likely to have an audience that readily recognizes how little in control of things human beings really are. Such uncertainty and insecurity can be a hidden grace, prompting us to cast ourselves upon God’s mercy and to place our trust in what is stable and certain. We are like Judah’s king Jehoshaphat, who prayed when a mighty army rose up against his nation: “O our God… we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (2 Chron. 20:12).
*The quotations here are taken from C. S. Lewis, “On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948) in Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays, ed. Walter Hooper (New York: Harcourt/Harvest Books, 1986), 73-74.
Paul M. Gould
COVID-19 provides an opportunity for introspection and action in at least three ways. First, we are creatures that long for good news. Each night, when the pandemic first began, we would watch the news in horror. The news was always bad: more infections, more deaths, lost jobs, pain, and suffering. But then, a few weeks in, John Krasinski started his own little show titled Some Good News on YouTube. The show went viral. I watched the first episode with tears in my eyes. Finally, some good news. Some relief from the pain. But wait, as Christians, we have some good news too! Jesus saves. Jesus loves. Jesus pursues. The Gospel is some good news. It’s some great news. It’s the best news ever! I’m reminded that the human heart longs for good news. And I’m reminded that there is a lost world in desperate need of Jesus.
Second, we are fragile creatures. Modern man tries to buffer himself from the ravages of nature and the ravages of each other. But COVID-19 reminds us that we cannot buffer ourselves from pain and suffering. It reminds us of our finitude, our limitedness, our fragility. But this is a good thing: we weren’t meant to be buffered selves; we were meant to be dependent creatures. I’m reminded of the beautiful truth that God lovingly sustains and cares for us each and every moment—in the good times and in the difficult times. I’m reminded that we need each other. This applies to apologetics too: we don’t need to be the expert in every area. We are part of a community, the body of Christ, and we can lean on and learn from each other. We can, and should, work together to show others the brilliance and beauty of Jesus and the gospel.
Finally, I’m reminded that we have a living hope because of Jesus. Jesus really did enter human history and take on a human nature. He really did die so that we might live. He really did rise from the dead. Because of Jesus, one day all tears will be wiped away, all pain and suffering will be gone. There is real hope, even in unsettling times, because of Jesus. As apologists, we need to stay the course—preaching Jesus and the resurrection to all who would hear as we walk the path of faith, sustained by hope, and compelled by love.
David Baggett
Although the gospel does not change, our circumstances certainly do, and right now we find ourselves in nothing less than surreal times. In America alone we have now crossed the grim milestone of over 100,000 deaths from the pandemic, while countless others struggle to keep businesses afloat, make ends meet, and retain their mental health—sometimes by a thread. All of this means this is definitely a time when we have a great opportunity to proclaim the truth with our hands and feet, but also with discerning words as well. Some may be surprised to find out that the twentieth century’s most popular version of the moral argument—by C. S. Lewis—was first given as BBC radio addresses in England during World War II. It gained such traction no doubt because the world was so obviously broken and in need of fixing, which made its power and persuasiveness no actual surprise at all. Something about real suffering, grave loss, and plain evil sets the good, the true, and the beautiful in stark relief.
A generation earlier, William Sorley similarly gave his own version of the moral argument in his Gifford lectures, only during World War I in his case. Sorley was hardly a stranger to acute loss and pain and grief. His son Charles was in the throes of the war, and he was brilliant and one of the three great “war poets” of that war. As William composed his lectures on God and goodness, he was in the habit of sending early drafts to Charles—until that terrible day he heard the news that Charles, barely twenty, had been killed in battle. William and his wife grieved deeply, and the death of Charles made its mark in William’s lectures, imbuing each of its pages with a greater measure of authenticity, pathos, and humanity. William’s moral argument, forged in the crucible of unspeakable loss, still accentuated the goodness and love of God; but since the world’s travails are part of the evidence to consider, he could and would not trivialize them. Rather, he drank them to their dregs, without allowing them the final word, for goodness has overcome evil, and love death.
A Time to Come Together
by Naomi Reese
This week we witnessed the senseless death of George Floyd, an African-American man. The incident took place in Powderhorn, a neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The video recorded on the cellphone of a bystander is hard to watch—Floyd is pinned to the ground by a white police officer whose knee is on his neck. Over the several minutes Floyd pleads for air, saying, “I can’t breathe.”
I consider myself a minority of minorities in the US. I am a foreigner (Japanese), a person of color (Asian), and a woman. I have been living in this country for the last thirty years. During these years, I have come to appreciate many aspects of American culture—creativity, optimism, and patriotism, among others. Most importantly, I became a born-again Christian here.
Yet, I must admit that I have also experienced a fair amount of racism. Just a few illustrations can serve as examples. In my college American history class, I remember my professor senselessly repeating derogatory names used to describe the Japanese during WWII, and reciting a song that was meant to humiliate them. It seemed clear that this reveling went beyond mere historical interest. In one of my Sunday school classes not long ago, a member launched into a long apology for American slavery, telling me how good life was for slaves because everything was provided for them.
But none of my experiences compare to the depraved mistreatment that Floyd encountered that day. The intensity of the animus that the police officers exhibited toward him is shocking. Their disregard for human life was barbaric.
Paul wrote in Ephesians, “ For he [Jesus Christ] himself is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jews and Gentiles] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (vv. 14-16).
Christ’s death not only provided salvation for all, but brought every nationality and color together into his family. This means that whatever our racial or national background, we are brought into this new life—one new humanity—in Christ and in unity.
If Christ’s purpose was to create in himself one new humanity, what should the followers of Christ do in a time of crisis when the nation is divided and experiencing chaos that derives from frustration, anger, and hopelessness? Should we be bystanders, or should we be neighbors who care for those who suffer from racial inequality and injustice?
For me, I am painfully aware of how racism can bring dysfunctionality into one’s relationship. When I married my husband—a nice Southern boy of European descent—he was not welcomed into my family (I must say that the fault mainly falls upon me for not trying harder to be a peacemaker). It was a big hurdle for my traditional family to accept someone who was not Japanese. It pains me to say this, but it has affected our relationship.
Unless we stop discriminating against those different from us, it will destroy human relationships, and possibly humanity as a whole. As Scripture teaches, God made humanity in his image, and this entails that God made us for relationship (Genesis 1:26-27). We are meant to be in harmonious relation with each other.
Where should we go from here, and how should followers of Christ, one new humanity, act to promote racial reconciliation and ultimately peace? The fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23 can be our guide. We should choose love over hatred. We should rejoice in our differences because diversity brings strength and reveals the manifold beauty of God. We should seek peace over conflict. We should be patient with each other, and this requires gentleness and self-control. We should be kind to each other because some of us may be suffering. All of these things are manifestations of God’s goodness, and our expression of faithfulness to him. May the fruit of the Spirit in our lives overflow toward everyone around us, regardless of the color of their skin or the place of their birth.
— Naomi Noguchi Reese (PhD in systematic theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is adjunct professor in Biblical and Religious Studies at Trinity International University. She has contributed articles to the Dictionary of Christianity and Science (Zondervan, 2017) and The Lexham Survey of Theology (Lexham Press, 2018).
Book Highlight
Everyday Apologetics: Answering Common Objections to the Christian Faith is a very helpful overview of Christian apologetics aimed at those who are new to the subject. The contributors explain the need for apologetics, consider common objections to Christianity (such as suffering, Old Testament violence, and science), and then build a positive case for the trustworthiness of Christian belief (including God’s existence, the resurrection, and meaning in life). For anyone looking for an informative but accessible introduction to apologetics, this is a great place to start.
“Everyday Apologetics offers many practical insights on a host of topics, providing clear guidance for defending one’s faith. This concise handbook on key faith questions can help embolden believers in their witness for Christ.”
— Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University; author of Is God a Moral Monster?
“Everyday Apologetics will help you investigate and respond to common objections to Christianity so that you can grow in your personal confidence and share the gospel with your friends and neighbors.”
— J. Warner Wallace, Dateline-featured Cold-Case Detective; Speaker and Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview; author of Cold-Case Christianity
Find Everyday Apologetics at Amazon, Lexham Press (you can get the ebook/Logos version here), and other major booksellers.
*This is a sponsored post.
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