God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath

by N.T. Wright

Of course, once you have a major National Health Service, as we do in Britain, the inclination is to suppose that the State now runs ‘health’ and the churches can go back to being ‘spiritual’, to teaching people to pray and showing them how to get to ‘heaven’. Ever since the eighteenth century the ‘secular’ world has done its best to take over, and to claim the credit for, a great deal that the Jesus-followers used to do. The Church has often gone along for the ride, sliding off into a Platonic rejection of ‘the world’ and offering an escapist ‘evangelism’ and ‘spirituality’. Yet when government funding is cut, and the health services can no longer do what they need to, churches should be the ones – but often are not – to raise their voices in protest and to step in and help. We have a long track record on medical work, much longer than any other society or company. Suddenly to be told that we cannot and must not do it, but must leave it to ‘the professionals’, feels like being told that we cannot and must not be the Church. Others claim to know best (though actually the scientific advice is worryingly diverse) and we aren’t wanted on the patch. We should not be afraid to take the high ground. This is part of the work of holding the world to account in the power of the Spirit.