Coronavirus: Are Stringent Measures Necessary?

Coronavirus: Are Stringent Measures Necessary?

I hope no one thinks I am acting unwisely or appearing blase regarding the present pandemic. The heading is necessarily truncated, I would like to have asked rather, "Are such measures really necessary for the gatherings?"

To act prudently and heed advice is to be intelligent in the circumstances I readily admit. But the advice I have seen, in respect of the actions suggested, seem to be disproportionate and lacking in faith may I humbly suggest.

Already Assemblies are cancelling meetings without a single believer in the company exhibiting any symptoms of the virus! Measures have also been suggested that seem to undermine, if not obliterate the practical truths concerning the Lords' Supper!

I repeat most vehemently, I am not blase about this truly horrible virus and would act as wisely as is possible. But I feel a pressing, nay, an urgent need to exhort every believer to look to the Lord to overrule and undertake for His own; and not to engage too much in anticipation of what MIGHT happen.

Just as an aside: we need to remember before this age of "multi-media" with its frightening impact on peoples views and manner of life, this outbreak would have run its course without the hype and scaremongering we experience now. Furthermore, in recent years viruses have been far more widespread and have caused more fatalities than COVID-19. Again, this is not to belittle the dangers, but to simply point out that if the general public around the world had been in receipt of as much information on those previous occasions we would have seen a like response.

I and my wife, and two of our children are in the vulnerable category, so this is not false or bravado, but soul-concern for the gatherings of the Lords' people that He might receive His "portion" from us, His own, and that we might hold fast His Word.