Editorial: Coronavirus Pandemic is an Opportunity for Spiritual Growth

The Coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity for our spiritual growth because it poses the fact that we renew our faith in Jesus Christ taken from his who assurance to all of our humanity and Christians that he came so that we may have life in full the gospel of John 10:10. This insurance is not in a vacuum and it is the son of God who is God himself who told us that he came so that we may have life and life in abundance. If this is the son of God and he is our creator, who has said this then during this moment of the pandemic, shouldn’t shake up to lose faith and to lose all the hope that is required among the people who believe in God, to stand firm and strong knowing that our savior is actually assured us.

 We need to renew this faith in ourselves first of all. That’s why I call it an opportunity for us to be in touch with ourselves, with our God, with our creator, and that conviction itself helps us in our behavior. The way we will be talking to people, we talk from the point of view of the strength that we believe in the God who has given us life in abundance; the way we reach out to each other, our gestures should be grounded in God.

 In our workplaces, where we are delivering our services, we need to consider elements of integrity and

authenticity because by so doing, we will be offering the abundance of life that God has assured.

 In the same way in moments of serious difficulties, for instance, if the disease has affected us or a member of our family, our society, or maybe our businesses, we still need to have strong faith in God because, amid such storms of life, God has never abandoned us, He will never abandon us. Let us not lose hope in Him who has live in abundance. Let us not despair or live in self-pity because that is for people who do not believe in God. Let us go out there with words that encourage everyone to know that we come from God who gives life in abundance, John 10:10

 Coronavirus is also an opportunity owing to the fact that it has enlightened us to be analytic, to be inquisitive, to be attentive, and not to take things for granted. And also it has brought the discipline of hygiene more seriously, which people previously cared less about. In my thinking also it has brought the discipline in encouraging Christians to look for ways to pray. Some are struggling to listen to the Word of God on Radio, on TV, on social media, so it has made almost everybody who is a believer to be an evangelizer.

 I participate in a number of forums and I see a lot of spiritual messaged being forwarded from one end to the next.  This has made me appreciate the fact that when bad situates present themselves to us, God is never silent. He can seize that and make it the best instrument for his people. So now we are having more preachers. I even have seen more young people writing very inspirational spiritual messages to their fellow brothers and sisters in their forums. Not only that, the fact that we have been hungry for the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, but the majority of our Christians have also received the Holy Eucharist of desire. Those who have not been able to participate in physical communion and now this spiritual hunger intensifies in us, in all people to go deeper into our relationship with God so I want to encourage everybody that God has given us the whole lot. He didn’t create us in vain so on his promise that I have come so that all of you widows, all of you young people, all of you orphans, all of you people with any kind of physical disabilities or challenges, and all of you who are divorced, and to all of you who are having special problems of health, God has come to give us life and life in abundance.

 And this does not take away His Cross of Salvation, His Cross of Hope, His cross of Achievement in our lives. Whatever situations we find ourselves in, let us feel that God is still available, God is still present. So I call upon all of us to rejuvenate our relationship with God and move forward. Let us use our social media much more and all the avenues that are there to spread the Word of God.

 Coronavirus has also brought on us the discipline to keep distance and that distance I could call it spiritual. Keep distance in order to see yourself as a unique important human being. You are different and the good qualities you have to enhance the relationship with others that we must never do away with. The spirit of solidarity among ourselves and the spirit of love and care towards one another. So I wish everyone a great moment to seize this opportunity that COVID 19 has presented as an opportunity to change and grow.

 God Bless you

Yours Barani Edwardo Hiiboro Kussala,

Catholic Bishop of Tombura-Yambio