Will the Pandemic Spark a Spiritual Reawakening?

December 8 the world awoke to the news of the first reported case of Covid-19 in Wuhan, China.  Few experts at that time could have forecast a cataclysmic pandemic that would kill thousands, swamp hospitals, exhaust medical supplies and pulverize world economies.

Facts dribbled out of the Communist regime like water from a melting glacier.  A month passed before scientists, immunologists, health organizations and political leaders understood the demon that had been unleashed.  Each new detail fueled public panic, stark fear, uncertainty and hopelessness.

In the wake of past calamitous disasters, Americans usually have rediscovered God.  Chastened by the horrors of World War II, church attendance skyrocketed.  A Gallup survey reported three-out-of-four Americans were members of a house of worship.  People rediscovered peace in God.

Even after the memory of the war began to fade, nationwide attendance at worship services spiked at a faster rate than the population during the 1950's.  Membership in churches and synagogues doubled.  It was no coincidence the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance then.

After the horrendous attacks of 9/11, houses of worship were jammed that evening as Americans cued up to grieve and pray.  Citizens organized their own candlelight and prayer vigils.  There was a somber fog that cloaked  the country, compelling many of us to reexamine our own lives

However, after a few weeks, attendance at worship services lapsed into normalcy.  We retreated to our former ways, comforted by new security measures that made us feel safe again.  God was no longer needed.   

In troubled times, we confront the fragility of life.  The certainty that we too will die.  The illusion that we control our circumstances is shattered.  We come to grips with how trivial some of our concerns have been in light of the precarious nature of life itself. 

These dark days beg for a beacon.  A lamp to guide us through the valley of death and despair.  In the best of times, we find solace in life's pleasures.  We are distracted by what our eyes see rather than the whispered yearning in our hearts for the Creator.  Perhaps, this devastating virus will alter that.

Many Americans are ripe for a reawakening.  Weekly attendance at houses of worship is plunging.  Pew research found 37% of us attend a synagogue or church weekly.  Nearly one-in-three people seldom or never take part in worship services.  Those numbers are rising annually.

Diving deeper into the research, even people with religious affiliations find reasons to avoid worship services.  The majority (37%) cite personal issues with the church, including disagreements with religious beliefs or with church leadership.  Around 16% say they are just too busy.

Others mention personal priorities prevent them from attending.  They specify work conflicts, health problems or transportation difficulties.  This is no judgment about why people choose not to attend.  Obviously, they are valid justifications that make worship attendance impossible.

Let's stipulate at this point regular worship attendance does not make someone a "good" person. That is judgmental.  But there are other signs, besides worship attendance, that signal a glacial shift in America's once sacred tradition of honoring God in private and public places.

The Ten Commandments are forbidden in courthouses.  Crosses have been removed as offensive.  Prayer in public schools is taboo.  Courts have decreed rules passed by Congress trump religious rights.  Bans on public Nativity scenes.  Subpoenas for pastors who oppose homosexuality.

For decades, there has been a secular campaign to strip America of any vestige or symbol of the Creator.  There have been a few courageous religious organizations that have battled the tide.  But truthfully there has been mostly benign acceptance.  A shrug.  A silent resignation.

Will Americans, shaken by the reality of our risky universe, stand up for religious liberty? Will they will again flock to houses of worship?  Will they become kinder, more compassionate, less selfish and lift their voices in praise of God?

If not now, when?

We have endured the agony of being separated from loved ones drawing their last breath.  Funerals are cancelled by social distancing, aggravating inconsolable grief.  Human lives have been reduced to government statistics. Numbing isolation threatens our collective mental health.

During the outbreak, Americans have placed their faith in scientists and the government.  The common plea is for a miracle vaccine that will chase the virus into oblivion.   God is nowhere in the public discussion. We should first and foremost focus our faith in God, the ultimate miracle worker.

If anything good can emerge from these virus, a revival of faith would be a welcome outcome.  This abhorrent virus won't be he last microbe to scourge the world.  Future ones might be worse.  Let's not wait for the next global affliction or terrorist strike to turn toward our Creator in faithful worship.