Covid Fear Vs Christian Faith

PODCAST NOTES – Lecture and Podcast

Listen to the Podcast HERE. Podcast goes live 1pm 24th February 2022

This podcast is a LIVE LECTURE given at Templepatrick Reformed Church on Friday 18th February 2022.

Covid Fear v’s Christian Faith

Luke 12:4-7  

“The power of those who seek conformity is very strong. Persecution methods can be strong, controlling and painful.”  Some practical Biblical advice for those living in fear and dread.

1. The Monster We Fear.

What frightens us most is death.  Physical death.  That fear has been evident for two years now, during the Covid scare.  Two groups of ‘experts’ were advising and shaping government policy:

• Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) SPI-M were running computer models, using algorithms to predict the progress of the epidemic, as the virus would spread throughout the population.  We now know that in fact they supplied government with a range of figures, with various outcomes, – only the worst case scenarios were relayed to the public. The death-fear propaganda had begun – to counter the spread of a respiratory disease with a 98% recovery rate.
• Independent Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours.  Comprised of behavioural scientists their role is to use psychology to influence the thinking of the people, to modify patterns of behaviour.  The government saw other nations following the example of the Chinese Communist Party instead of the standard pandemic protocols.  That required lockdown, so on 23 March 2020 Boris Johnson told the country that people ‘must’ stay at home and certain businesses must close. Lockdown had begun – it was just for three weeks, – to ‘flatten the curve.’  Most people were willing to co-operate.  After all, none of us knew what this new virus ‘Covid 19’ really was. It was, if the news reports could be believed, the most dangerous, deadly virus ever. 

2. Manipulating Fear.

People have died of, and with Covid-19, but why were people so afraid of Covid-19, more so than cancer or heart disease?   

• Government Advertising.  Advertising and reportage converged to promote the fear of death.  
• Sensationalist reporting. Dubious videos, mass burials, – none of those videos with proven provenance.  Camera crews and reporters allowed into ICUs.
• Over-inflated estimates of death rates, derived from previously discredited computer modellers. Daily death tolls being read out on the news bulletins, with no context whatsoever. Covid-Related Deaths. The fear mongering just went on and on and it still does.
• Censorship of debate.  The so-called ‘trusted news initiative’ made sure that only the government’s health messages were broadcast, while anything that might question the narrative, or cause ‘vaccine hesitancy’ were censored.’   hospital.  The deaths were WITH Covid, rather than OF Covid.  
• Scare-mongering headlines. Laura Dodsworth lists a whole chapter of sensationalist media and press headlines.  
• Masks. The spin from the BBC and the government, is that you wear a mask for others, to stop the possibility of spreading disease.  It’s easier to manipulate people when they feel part of a group, part of the community, the project, the fight-back.  And our neighbour becomes a walking vector of disease, and a potential bio-terrorist. 

Let’s try to think biblically about fear, as Christians.  

3. Mastering Fear.   Luke 12:4-7 4  

The church should be prophetic,  Have we been doing that or have we been cowering under a comfort blanket of safetyism? The church’s task is not to make sure that the worshippers are safe in this life. It is to call them to repentance, so that they are safe in eternity.   Let’s see that expanded in the words of Christ in Luke 12:4-7.

1. Do NOT be afraid of other people.   Ephesians 1:13-14   
2. Be SURE to fear the Lord.   
3. Trust in the PROVIDENCE of God.   Psalm 139:1-5    Psalm 91:1-5-6 

Let’s sum up. The church’s priority, in this case, is to warn sinners to flee from the wrath to come, not just to make them more compliant with safety regulations in this life. When confronted with authoritarian rules from a secular authority, that conflict with or contradict the law of God, what is our priority? READ Acts 5:29  

The Christian’s priority is to prepare for eternal life. To live for Christ, and face inevitable death in Christ, and be with Christ. 2 Samuel 22:31 

To all those who are living in fear, fear of death, fear of illness, hyped up fear of Covid, – there is a greater fear, the fear of a God who is offended by your sins, and who because of his justice and righteousness must punish sin, yet God in his mercy has provided a way of escape, by laying upon his sinless son, the sins of the world.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!  

© Bob McEvoy February 2022

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 Dodsworth, L. 2021, “A State of Fear,”   Pinter & Martin, London.