COVID-19 impact on people across this country and around the world

You need to love your neighbour under COVID-19

Jude Hama Features Aug - 23 - 2020 , 14:57

THERE is a classic story in the Bible where the Lord Jesus teaches what it means to love our neighbour. It is the story of the “the Good Samaritan”. What prompted the story, was Jesus telling people the summary of all the commandments of God to us, people, He created in His Own image: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself”. “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”.

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:27-29, NLT). The Good Samaritan parable is to explain who a neighbour is and how we are to show compassion, and practical love to anybody in one need or the other and to whom we must offer genuine and practical help.

COVID-19 impact on people across this country and around the world is to see people going through health challenges and seeking to manage economic life disrupted and interrupted by COVID-19, which affects everybody. How does the Church think about and help members who have lost jobs or really struggling to make ends meet?

There are conversations on the disruptive impact of COVID-19 and the role of the Church. Firstly, the Church, in her response, has to re-echo a critical matter COVID-19 impact has revealed: “The illusion of human control”-The coronavirus has confronted the world – carefully wrapped up in its technology, medicine, knowledge and human rights; and with our own morality. We are being reminded that we humans are not in control – however much we like to think we are masters of events, our lives and even our bodies. Coronavirus has burst bubble or illusion of us being in control. No. God alone is sovereign –“the only ultimate interpreter.” Let us add this, pandemics show us, “No condition is permanent” So this also shall pass.

Secondly, COVID-19 impact brings up many issues and practical matters the Church must face up to now. COVID-19 impact does not excuse us from loving God. It does not excuse us to seek first, the Kingdom of God. It does not excuse us from loving our neighbour. Indeed, COVID-19 or no COVID-19, we are to still love our neighbours. Love for neighbour requires that the Church partners the Government that wields the sword in the time of war to win the fight against the COVID-19 war in our country. The Church must step forward with practical support, - for example giving out the Church of Pentecost International Conference Centre as COVID-19 isolation facility. The Church must also encourage its human resource in the persons of medical experts, Scientific researchers and COVID-19 front-line workers to faithfully serve people and wage honest war against COVID-19.

The Church, therefore, should partner more closely with the Ghana Medical Association, the West Africa College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives, to re-group in a concerted fight against COVID-19 in Ghana. We have enough human, scientific and medical wisdom in Ghana to successfully fight COVID-19. We must not waste the God-given capacity we have to win the COVID-19 war in Ghana.

The Church, in addition, has an important prophetic role to hold the Government accountable, and urge it to do the right things to contain or curtail the spread of COVID-19 in High schools, and particularly in the COVID-19 community spread.

It is part of properly loving neighbour for the Church to do this instead of seeking puny favours from government and government appointees; or NPP and NDC party gurus! God’s word demands this and the people of Ghana need it. We must win the COVID-19 war in this country.
Love for neighbour requires that in our extremely polarised society, Heads of Churches and the leaders of the Church Councils must promote peace and be instruments of peace in our country this election year and beyond. The Church in Ghana has triple power to determine the direction of Governance for this nation.

• God’s power He exercises to set up Kings and put down Kings (Psalm 75:6&7, ESV)
• The power of our numbers (71.2 per cent). Politics involves a game of numbers; we have the numbers on our side.
• The power of the individual thumb of the Church members to register properly and to vote. The power of the thumb is a Chief King-Maker!