Exile wisdom for quarantine living

For two weeks, my wife and two (very) active young daughters have remained at home due to the "shelter in place" orders related to the coronavirus pandemic. After breaking up several arguments between my daughters on Sunday, I realized that we were going batty, and needed this pandemic to end right away.

Although I expected it to happen, I was nonetheless disappointed to find out this was going to our life for all of April. We have barely kept sane for two weeks, and now we will remain in the same situation for another month, possibly longer.

I desperately want to go to the gym and work out, eat at a restaurant with my wife, take my children to the playground, go to church, host a group of friends at my house for dinner, or browse at a music store. Many of us want to break out of this situation and get back to life as we knew it as soon as possible, because cabin fever is coming fast for us.

One of the defining events of the Old Testament is unfortunately not a common talking point in the church at this time, or at any time. But it has given me much to think about with regard to my faith journey as I hobble through this period of time.

There was a point in Israel's history when God allowed his people to be overtaken by Babylon, and the majority of able-bodied citizens were deported out of the ruined city and driven into exile over a period of 15 years. They had lost everything they held dear to them as a people, and those who survived found themselves in new towns. Surely, the exiles were in shock, and wondered regularly when God would deliver them, and rebuild their lives so that life would look like the good ol' days once again.

When the exiles wanted to run away, or fight, or give up and wallow in despair, Jeremiah sent them a prophetic letter, recorded in Jeremiah 29. And that letter contained the last message they would want to hear: settle in... you're going to be there for a while.

Jeremiah 29:4-9  told the exiles to get really comfortable in their new situation: set down roots (figuratively and literally), start families, build houses, and develop a community. Oh, and "seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile," (v.7).

Wait... the city? A city that is part of Babylon?!?!

God's people had gotten used to hearing about the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem (see Psalm 122). They didn't want Babylon to prosper; they wanted Babylon to fall so they could get their former lives back! But no... seek the peace of Babylon. And they would have to do it there for 70 years before the Lord would bring them back together.

It was a far worse message to hear that being told today that we would be in self-quarantine for at least another month.

At this point, I want to be clear about what I am not doing. I am not claiming that this coronavirus crisis and response is a direct parallel to the destruction of Jerusalem and exile of God's people in the 6th century BC. This is not about stating the cause of the virus, or equating the coronavirus with Babylon, or finding a formula for success during isolation. This is ultimately about seeking God's wisdom in the scripture, and drawing us closer to the author of the book himself.

How does this speak to our faith walk amidst the pandemic?

1. God knows the beginning and the end. In the same way that God knew captivity would take 70 years, God knows when this pandemic began, and when it will end. Nothing has taken God by surprise. He is working out his purposes in us through this crisis.

2. Set down roots. This is not a permanent arrangement, but unpack your bags. Convert to online church services, develop new rituals that work best in this new environment, and find unique ways to connect with and serve each other. As the exiles had to learn how to be faithful to God, and worship without their temple (because it has been destroyed), we must learn a new way to be faithful, and a new way to be a spiritual community, without our central location right now.

3. Seek the peace and prosperity. This represents a seismic shift in attitude for me. Across the internet, fitness gurus are creating content sharing ideas for exercises at home. The message is simple: don't let this throw you off track, thrive in this environment. It is a challenge and opportunity. I have seen God open unique and unexpected doors for ministry in the past few weeks that may not have otherwise opened. God's plan, amidst this pandemic and new normal, is to prosper us and make us fruitful as followers of Jesus (see Jer. 29:11). Be radically generous; spend extra time in God's Word; find the needs in our communities and band together as a church to meet those need. We would miss significant opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus if we simply turn on online church Sunday morning and passively wait out this pandemic. Seek the peace and prosperity of our communities and contribute to its healing.