(Translated version, originally shared by Pastor Mickey Hsiao on March 30th, 2020)
Christians are no stranger to this symbol—the shape of a fish and to the middle, five Greek prefix letters. These five letters stand for Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and Savior, respectively. This symbol was the sign that was used by early Christians to recognize each other privately when hidden from persecution by the Roman Empire! Nowadays, due to the pandemic, we are required to be “sheltered in places” following the governor’s order. In light of this symbol, I would like to share my reflections regarding “Jesus Christ, God ‘s Son, and my (or our) Savior”.
In the Past: Have I seriously thought about the meaning of God in my life? Do I clearly know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, my Savior? How has He influenced me and changed me? How did He rescue me from my sins and release me from my bondages? What is the cause of my panic or anxiety now? (In the past few weeks, I had the opportunities to be in contact with several senior members of our church by phone. Thanks to God that even though our senior members are a group of our most concerned, they receive the peace from the Lord and have been complying with the “Safer-at-Home” order. And they have been attending our church gatherings over the Internet consistently.)
Present: In the face of the epidemic, has my relationship with God been any different from that relationship back in a peaceful life? Is God only a helper in time of my trouble or is He my Savior eternally? Would He only save me from the virus and heal my disease? Or will I trust in Him wholeheartedly and let Him be the Master of my life?
Future: Epidemics (such as SARS, MERS, COVID19, etc.) and disasters (such as terrorist attacks, financial crises, etc.) both resulted in chaos and they have never stopped from happening and have always ceased at one point. The real test, however, began each time after a crisis as we transition back to our normal daily lives. Will people’s hearts become hardened from relying on God constantly, by seeking and crying out to God in the previous predicament? Then, gradually becoming lazy, quickly drifting away from God? Will devotions and Bible studies turn to a tradition for them (e.g., on the 1st and 15th of each month)? Will worship services and fellowships turn out to be other temples where people only come in to pray on their leisure time and donate money as a way to ease their minds? Will people go back to their old lives, like sleeping souls until the next wake-up call?!
All brothers and sisters: “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and Savior”—is “the Way “of how you should live in this life and how you can be assured of your eternal life. This is the only way to set apart yourself from the world, the only sign to distinguish among wheat and weed (the Parable of the Weeds, Matthew 13:24-30, ESV)! What do you think?
In Christ,
Pastor Mickey Hsiao