Does Christianity really have no answer to Corona?

Reflections on N.T Wright’s article in the TIME.

There was a recent article written by the British theologian, N.T Wright that was titled “Christianity offers no answers about the Coronavirus. It’s not supposed to.” As one reads through the article it becomes evident that the author is arguing for the practice of lamenting which is something the Bible accounts for many a time. Wright, correctly offers many a verse as examples of this phenomenon and he posits that in most of those cases the writer of scripture had to remain content with no explanation given as to why the suffering was taking place. Wright, I believe correctly chastises the “knee jerk reaction” voices that will quickly talk about this being an act of punishment from God and he exposes the desperate need of humanity to find meaning in every event of life – suffering included. I think he is correct in his argument that the God of the bible is often found not answering the question “why is this happening?” In fact I think it is rather presumptuous for us, the creature to expect Him, the creator to be obligated to give us answers.

Inasmuch as I agree with many parts of what N.T Wright argues for there are some portions of the article that I do not agree with. I would like to highlight these two.

A. Grieving without hope

There is a section in his opening where he seems to paraphrase the famous author T.S Elliot and he writes “the only advice is to wait without hope, because we’d be hoping for the wrong thing. I am not sure if Wright was using hyperbolic language to drive home the depth of grief that a lament can contain within it (I am guessing that might be a reason) but for me this thought runs completely counter to the biblical call we find in 1 Thessalonians 4. Paul instructs us there to be people who grieve but not like all the others around us. We are called to grieve but to grieve with hope. We identify with others around us in our lamenting, in our grieving. But we are also different from those around us because we truly grieve but we do so with a profound hope that also fills our hearts. The article argues that even God laments and that even God was deeply grieved. It is accurate in saying this but even so this does not support an argument of grieving without hope. God knows all, is sovereign over all and yet has the passion and compassion to grieve deeply over and with His creation. But this in no way is any indicator that God has lost hope in that moment. Hopelessness is the currency of those who lack either the knowledge of a solution or the power to apply a given solution to their current desperate context or both.  And God in no way is or has ever been a God without hope.             

So what are we to be hopeful about during this time? What could the possible light at the end of the tunnel be? Well for us as believers even while we grieve we remain hopeful about two clear promises of scripture. The first is that God uses all things and all circumstances for His glory and so even suffering is not without its glorious purpose in God’s eternal will. The second is that there is an end to this tunnel. The tunnel of this virus will end, as will the tunnel of the next pandemic. But more importantly all the vile things of the earth being exposed through this virus – the greed of men, the selfishness of men, the lack of wisdom and empathy in many leaders. These join together with so many other evils of humanity to form this one long tunnel of sin, injustice, violence, corruption, discrimination, greed etc. And the hope of the believer is that the tunnel of this existence has an end. And at the other side is glory. A glory not tarnished by any of these and a glory that will never be tarnished either. So I disagree with the article that our lot in these times is to grieve without hope in case we hope in the wrong thing. I believe as children of God we are called to grieve but to do so with unimaginable, unconquerable hope that flows out of our hearts and makes our faith even more attractive in times such as these.

B. Christianity has NO answer.

The second place I disagree with the article is in its very title itself. It is a blanket statement and a false one. Given the above argument for an amazing hope that we can still hold on to while truly and really grieving with others around us – Christianity definitely has an answer to this season of pain in the world and to any and every other season of pain. The answer might not come in the format that says “this is why God has allowed this.” But that doesn’t mean Christianity has no answer. I think in the answer that the God of the bible gives we find space for eternal hope, incredible comfort, renewed vision and a call for sobering humility.

Yes, Wright is accurate when he calls out humanity for their constant need of an explanation. That is precisely where the Christian answer is so amazing. It gives us not some supernatural reasoning or empirical formula as to why things happen. The answer of the bible to the question of why suffering calls us, as every answer of the Bible does to a relational experience with the God of the Bible. The article points out that Jesus Himself cried out “my God why hast thou forsaken me?” and got no answer in return. But we must not forget that it was the same Christ who then went on to say “Father, into Thy hands I commit my Spirit” and “It is finished”. It is the same Christ who the night before had said “Not my will but yours be done.” His agonizing question, as much as it was a cry of grief was also one coming from a heart that knew beyond a shadow of doubt that there was a glorious purpose in the agony that He was being subjected to. He knew that the amazing Bible story carries within it not just an answer for a time of suffering but it carries the only answer worth hearing in a time of suffering.

What makes the answer of Christianity so powerful? Well, while it may not give you a specific temporal logistical answer about why a virus is happening currently – what it does is remind us of the eternal story line that is being written, of the fact that this too shall not only pass but will serve to further that eternal story. It also reminds us profoundly that while the sovereign author of this eternal story is under no obligation to give you an answer – He does answer and His answer is an invitation to trust His eternal goodness and to hope in His eternal glory.

Now all this doesn't mean we fake happiness and put on our smiley faces. As I said at the start, I do agree with Wright that there is the unmistakable language of lament found in the Bible and we do not anger God when we are heartbroken and grieve over the pain we see around us or feel within us. We are encouraged to come before Him with our questions and brokenness. But just because we are called to do so it doesn't mean we lose hope or have no answers. On the contrary we are the vessels of the surest hope and the heralds of most meaningful answers that are needed at this time. We see a perfect picture of this in Jesus Himself when He stands at the tomb of Lazarus and cries. He did not lose hope in that moment. He already knew the glory that was coming. But the possession of hope doesn't mean we cannot grieve. Similarly just because Jesus grieved and cried it doesn't mean He lost hope. Jesus shows us that these are not mutually exclusive realities but can exist and be experienced at the same time in a person. This is one of those profound places where the Christian witness can shine bright and is one of the many amazing places where it not only has an answer but even offers it.


Disclaimer: This article is purely based on the article in the TIME and has not other writings of the author. Wright has in fact written about and spoken much about the amazing hope we do have in Christ.