Because it is the nature of darkness to hide, there are indeed
conspiracies afoot.

C.S. Lewis famously observed, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”  I think the same can be said of conspiracy theories. 

I see on one side those who mock reasonable questions about the origins of the Covid virus, the integrity of our elections, or the agenda of the World Economic Forum with, “Oh… that’s just a conspiracy.”  But equally disturbing are the ones on the other extreme who think EVERYTHING is a conspiracy.  They wear me out with their alarmism and suspicion. 

The reality is certainly somewhere in the middle, where the sound sensibility of the scriptures exhort us, “Do not believe every spirit…”  “Test everything; hold fast to what is good.”  “… Evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”  “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” 

Lewis wisely points out a foolish and deadly denialism on one side, and an unhealthy fixation with darkness on the other.  Instead, let us walk in the sanctified center of wisdom: If the origins of the virus, or the outcome of the election seem suspicious, then by all means ask your questions, pray, and do your research.  Or if you can’t be bothered, then at least affirm your brother and the questions he may be asking.  Engage in reasonable conversations, and arrive at your own considered conclusions.  But don’t try to drag me into a rabbit hole that will divert the whole river away from the shores of truth and reason.  We are called to declare the good news of the Kingdom, while taking only a passing interest in the deeds of darkness.  (Indeed, enough interest so that we can pray intelligently). 

“If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding… then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.”  May we live curious, questioning lives of healthy examination, while we keep our hope and our focus on the One who is the truth.   

While we were busy poking fun at the silliness of political correctness, it quietly grew into a Marxist monster called the “Woke” movement. We flirted with it for decades, rightfully eager to become more sensitive to people, movements, and minorities. But the more we fed it, the bigger it grew until it gathered a gang of political-corporate thugs and began terrorizing the playground. And even worse, the teachers and school principle have sided against the skinny kids.

“Woke-ness” divides. It’s a form of Marxism that focuses on race, gender, language and power. Energized by outrage, it separates neighbor from neighbor, blacks from whites, men from women, gays from straights, and natives from immigrants. It rewrites history, topples statues, bans books, cancels dissidence, redefines words, and crushes freedom. And it has been creeping into our churches for decades.

On Easter Sunday I rode past a church in East Texas which proudly declared “We are a Social Justice – Black Lives Matter Church”. It felt both ominous and odd. While most were celebrating the resurrection, our misguided brethren were declaring a political gospel and standing boldly against whiteness. To our well-intentioned friends, activism has replaced evangelism, conversion has given way to “woke-ness”, and the “Enemy” has become the person next door who refuses to play along with the game.

I’ve already experienced the rage of the mob, unfriended for my lack of outrage, condemned for my want of “nuance”, and shunned for refusing to denounce people based on their skin color, or the uniform they wear. Make no mistake, the woke movement is as far from the heart of Jesus as the Pharisees of old.

Please, my friends, hold fast to the beauty of the Gospel: Sin infects us all, the cure is in Christ, true power is expressed in humility, and hope is found in God’s Kingdom. “There is a way which seems right to a man, But it’s end is the way of death.” Proverbs 16:25

Worldviews inevitably go astray when they depart from the middle way of truth: Materialists are half correct when they say the world is material. But it is more! Spiritualists are half correct when they say the world is spiritual. But it is not only spiritual. The world is a glorious mix of both spiritual and material. That is the truth and the natural order of creation.

As we followers of Jesus approach the coronavirus we stand in need of recognizing the middle way. Already I am hearing some friends say reckless things like, “I’m not concerned. God will protect me.” God does protect us. But that is only half of the truth. The other half is that God has given us an understanding of how viruses are spread, and we need to honor the natural component of the sickness as well.

One friend mentioned that it’s not “unbelief” to wash up, avoid crowds, and take precautions any more than it’s “unbelief” for a Christian surgeon to scrub-up and wear a mask for surgery. No one wants to be operated on by a surgeon who simply “trusts in the Lord” to keep infection away.

A Biblical worldview honors both the spiritual and the natural. Foolishness sees only one end of the equation. The Old Testament is full of laws about social distancing from lepers, avoiding unclean foods, and practicing proper sanitation. These are legitimate injunctions regarding the natural world. But at the same time, we are admonished to trust in the Lord with all our hearts. That is the spiritual end, and both sides are important. As we plot our way through the challenge of coronavirus I encourage you to keep social distance inasmuch as you are able and to practice good hygiene. But I also encourage you to trust in God. Do not be afraid! God’s Word is full of promises about these sorts of situations.

As you distance yourself and take wise precautions capitalize on the time to memorize Psalm 91, and the many other promises God has given to us. And don’t fall into the foolishness of half-truths! We are in this situation with God at our side.