God's Providence and Social Distancing

This is from Marvin Olasky’s page in World magazine, April 11, 2020, page 72:

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A Duty to Protect

Some Christians have said things like: Let’s continue to meet. God will protect us. Here’s what John Calvin wrote in his Insitutes of the Christian Religion (Book 1, Chapter 17): “For he who has set limits to our life has at the same time entrusted to us its care. He has provided means and helps to preserve it . . . Thus if the Lord has committed to us the protection of our life, our duty is to protect it; if he offers helps, to use them; if he forewarns us of dangers, not to plunge headlong; if he makes remedies available, not to neglect them.”

What’s the practical application? One Sunday in 1862 pastor and soldier Robert L. Dabney preached a sermon on God’s “special providence,” nothing that in a recent battle “every shot and shell and bullet was directed by the God of battles.” Not much later Dabney found himself under fire and took cover  behind a large gate post. A nearby officer kidded him: “If the God of battles directs every shot, why do you want to put a gate-post between you and a special providence?” Dabney replied, “Just here the gate-post is the special providence.”

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That story ends with a touch of humor, but the following is only tragic:

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Richmond Pastor Who Defied Social Distancing Orders Dies of COVID-19
Anne Stych April 14, 2020, Ministry Watch,  (https://ministrywatch.com/richmond-pastor-who-defied-social-distancing-orders-dies-of-covid-19/).

A Richmond evangelical preacher who told his congregation “God is larger than this dreaded virus” after defying state social distancing recommendations has died of COVID-19.

Bishop Gerald O. Glenn, 66, died April 11. The church announced the pastor’s death in a video on its Facebook page that was posted on Easter Sunday. 

Bryan Nevers, a church elder, said in the video that funeral arrangements will be announced in the next few days and that they will adhere to Virginia’s quarantine guidelines. 

Glenn continued to hold services at Richmond’s New Deliverance Evangelistic Church even after the spreading coronavirus threat led government officials to warn against gatherings of 10 or more people, preaching to 185 congregants March 18, per The Washington Post, and saying at a March 22 service he would continue “unless I’m in jail or the hospital,” the New York Post reported. 

“I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that,” he said at the later service, repeating the statement for emphasis. 

Virginia Gov. Ralph S. Northam had closed non-essential businesses and banned gatherings of more than 10 people on March 17 in response to the spreading pandemic. Northam expanded the mandate to a stay-at-home order March 30. 

Glenn’s wife, Mother Marcietia Glenn, 65, also has tested positive for the virus, according to their daughter, Mar-Gerie Crawley, who urged people to “understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone around us.”

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That last sentence is worth re-reading. For those not concerned about self, there is still the possibility of passing this virus along to others. A substantial percent of people pass this virus along while not showing or developing symptoms.

At least for the present, consider social distancing and diligent hygiene as providences of God.

Ron